


Teaching Love

by GreenGoofmon



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:21:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 47,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23718886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenGoofmon/pseuds/GreenGoofmon
Summary: Dr. Tobin Heath is a recently divorced emergency physician. Christen is her son's favorite teacher and absolutely unimpressed by the slightly workaholic doctor.
Relationships: Tobin Heath/Christen Press
Comments: 371
Kudos: 1321





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys,  
> I had this idea in my head that needed to get out. Don't worry, 'United' is still the top priority but I felt like we could all use something less dark right now.  
> Let me know what you think :)

Christen's day had officially ended 35 minutes ago. Yet, here she was, still at school on a Friday afternoon, waiting for one of her students to be picked up.   
The boy shuffled nervously with his feet as the minutes dragged.  
"Have you tried calling your mom, Tyler?" Christen asked kindly as the boy's uneasiness rose. He nodded but didn't offer anything else as they waited in the parking lot. The teacher smiled at him. Tyler was a smart kid but usually quiet and a bit shy, reminding Christen of how she'd been when she was around his age.

A white Porsche drove into the parking lot, coming to a stop in front of them. The door opened and Christen's jaw dropped. A lean, tan woman with light brown hair jumped out. She was wearing dark sunglasses and a tank top, giving Christen a good view of her toned arms. She was _hot._

"Sorry for being late. Work emergency," the woman said with a raspy voice.  
"Uh...excuse me, but who are you?" Christen asked taken aback. Tyler stared at the woman as well, like he couldn't believe she was here either. The other woman chuckled, took her sunglasses off and stretched her hand out.   
"I'm Tobin," she said with a confident grin, brown eyes twinkling.   
Christen shook her hand, furrowing her brows. "Christen Press. Well- it-it's nice to meet you Tobin but that does not answer my question. I don't have a Tobin on the list." She waved with the pick up list in her other hand.

Tobin cursed under her breath, throwing a glance at Tyler, who stared at his shoes.  
"I'm Tyler's mom."  
Christen got up and stood in front of the kid, eyeing the hot stranger warily. "I know Tyler's mom."  
Tobin rolled her eyes, letting out an impatient huff. "Let me rephrase this. I am his _other_ mom and I really have no time for this right now." Christen's eyes widened at her words. In the last 5 months she'd been teaching Tyler, the name Tobin never came up once.

"Ty, would you please just confirm who I am so we can go?"   
The boy looked at her and crossed his arms, a stubborn expression on his face. "I have never seen this woman before, Ms. Press."

Tobin grimaced at his words and took a step back, as if she'd been slapped.   
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you take him with you," Christen said in a friendly, yet stern tone.  
"You gotta be kidding me...Kara wanted me to pick him up today and she has obviously 'forgotten' to put me on the list. I _am_ his mother. C'mon Ty! You can be mad at me but please let us go home now," Tobin said exasperated. 

Christen bend down in front of the kid to be on eye level. "Tyler, is Tobin your mother? Please be honest with me." 

The boy sighed and nodded curtly.  
"Fine. Yes, she's my mom," he said reluctantly. "It's just been a while since I've seen her." His words made Tobin wince as she put the sunglasses back on again.   
There was a bitterness in his tone that Christen wasn't used to.

"Can I take him with me now?" Tobin asked for Christen's approval and the teacher nodded. Although she enjoyed working at one of the country's best private schools, she often had to deal with workaholic parents who didn't even try to spend time with their kids. 

"Make sure you'll get on the list for the next time," Christen advised as Tyler climbed into the car, waving her goodbye. 

The Porsche drove away, leaving Christen standing dumbfounded in the parking lot.

"Wow, who the hell was that?" Christen turned around and saw one of her best friends walking towards her. Megan Rapinoe was coaching the school's girls soccer team and seemed to just have finished a training session.

"That... was apparently Tyler Heath's mom," she answered slowly.  
"What?! Damn, that woman is hot! She's totally your type, Chris!"  
Pinoe grinned excitedly.  
"You heard the part where I said she's Tyler's mother?" Christen laughed, shaking her head at her friends behavior. 

Pinoe faltered a bit. "Right, sorry. Is she married?"  
"I don't know. How exactly did you expect me to bring that up in a two minute conversation with her son around?" Christen questioned amused. 

Pinoe shrugged with a smirk.   
"Stop grinning! She's definitely not my type!" Christen insisted.   
"Tell yourself that, Pressy."   
Okay, maybe Tyler's mom _was_ her type but she was probably taken and even if she wasn't, her attitude towards her son was irritating and not something Christen approved.

***  
"Tyler, would you please stay for a minute," Christen asked as the bell announced the end of the lesson.

The boy walked to her desk and waited for the rest of the students to leave.  
"Am I in trouble? I swear, I didn't want to hit Brenda, I was aiming for the bin!" Tyler rambled nervously, making Christen grin.  
"Don't worry, Tyler. I actually just wanted to check, if you got home okay on Friday?"  
"Oh. Yeah. It was okay," he replied with a sad smile. "Tobin just dropped me off at home."  
He looked so sad that Christen wanted to hug him. 

What was wrong with that woman?! Tyler was such a great kid!   
"Is she picking you up again today?" she asked gently, earning a shrug. "Well, let's go and find out."  
She gathered her things, sorted them carefully, flung her bag over her shoulder and gave Tyler a reassuring smile. 

Standing in the deserted parking lot, 10 minutes after all of Tyler's classmates had been picked up, Christen had a sinking feeling that today would be a repetition of Friday. Tyler sighed and sat down on the same bench they've waited on the last time. He rummaged through his bag and grabbed a notebook and a pencil. 

Christen watched with interest as the boy sketched...a spaceship?  
"Is that the millennium falcon?"  
Tyler's head snapped up. " _You_ know Star Wars?!"  
Christen chuckled, trying not to be offended by the boy's astonished tone.   
"Of course I know Star Wars! Who's your favorite character?"   
"Rey!" He didn't even have to think about it and flipped enthusiastically through his notebook, showing Christen his drawings. She had to admit that he was good, especially for a 9 year old. Even without knowing, she would've been able to tell that he'd drawn Rey.  
"These are amazing, Tyler! You're quite the artist!"  
The kids face lit up at the praise before he looked down at his notebook again, mumbling a shy "Thank you". 

The white Porsche drove into the parking lot 15 minutes later.   
"I'm sorry! I got held up and-"  
"You're 30 minutes late," Christen interrupted Tobin coldly. She didn't want to hear any of her excuses.  
"Right, I know, but-"  
"And you're still not on the list, Mrs. Heath," Christen cut her off again.

Tobin raised her hands in surrender. "Ugh, I'm sorry! You know who I am! I promise, I'll call Kara later and ask her _again_ to put me on the list! Happy now?"  
Christen shook her head, getting on her feet to stand in front of this impossible woman. She couldn't help but feel pleased that she was a bit taller than her, forcing Tobin to look up.   
"I'd be happier, if you make your son a top priority," she hissed quietly.  
Tobin swallowed audibly, clearly not having expected the teacher to be so blunt with her. "He is my top priority, Ms. Press." She turned to her son. "Ready to go home, Ty?" 

The boy didn't offer anything in return, just getting up from the bench and into the car, mumbling a "See you tomorrow, Ms. Press," ignoring his mother completely.  
Christen waved them goodbye as they drove down the street. 

***  
Christen didn't see Tobin Heath again for a few days but the name finally appeared on the pick up list. At least something got through to the other woman. 

Today was the day Christen dreaded the most, the day of the parent-teacher conference. As much as she loved the kids in her class, dealing with the parents was always stressful. Christen gave herself a few seconds on the hallway to calm down before she entered the room.

"Good afternoon! My name is Christen Press. Some of you may already know me." Her gaze wandered around the room, seeing some familiar faces and some new ones.  
"Before we dive into the talks, there are a few organizationally things on the agenda that we need to discuss. First of-"  
A loud ringing echoed through the room and a woman close to the door stood up hastily, fishing her phone out of her pocket.  
It was...Tobin Heath. _Of course it was her._ Christen's right eye twitched. 

"Sorry, I gotta take this!" she said and got up, leaving the room.  
Christen's annoyance at the other woman rose. What the hell was she thinking? They were in a room full of 'important' business people, yet Tobin Heath was the only one in here, who couldn't mute her phone for an hour?!

The teacher cleared her throat, slightly thrown off balance by the other woman and started to talk them through the upcoming field trip, the school's yearly science fair and the fall festival.  
She had just finished when Tobin came back into the room, cellphone still in hand. 

"Mrs. Heath, I'd love to have a word with you later. I hope you don't mind being the last one for the talk today," Christen said sweetly, with a satisfied glint in her eyes at the other woman's disbelieving look.   
"No problem at all, Ms. Press," Tobin retorted with a fake smile of her own. 

To Christen's relief, most of the parents were friendly and did not question her grading. It still took about four hours to get to the last person on the list. Tobin Heath. 

Christen got up and opened the door. Tobin sat on a chair in the hallway, tipping furiously away on her phone.  
"Mrs. Heath? You can come in now," Christen said and left the door open for Tobin, as she walked back behind her desk. The other woman walked back in with a confident stride, as if she owned the place and Christen hated to admit that she was absolutely gorgeous. Tobin wore white form fitting dress pants and an orange dress shirt, that no one should be allowed to look good in.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot and I wanna apologize for that," she said with a charming smile that Christen imagined had many girls fawning over her.

She raised her eyebrows unimpressed. "Do you mean being late all the time or having phone conversations in my classroom?"

"Kinda both?" Tobin tried but Christen didn't let her off the hook.  
"Mrs. Heath-," she started as Tobin chimed in.   
"I'd actually prefer _Ms._ Tyler's mom and I are divorced."  
Christen could practically see Pinoe's victory dance in front of her eyes at this moment. 

"Fine. _Ms._ Heath, we are a school and not a place where you can show up whenever it suits you. If you pick Tyler up, please try to be on time!" She wanted to say more but it wasn't her place as a teacher. 

Tobin looked at her with wide eyes but nodded anyway. Her phone buzzed in her pocket again.   
"Okay, let's get this over with. Tell me what I need to know and we both can go home," the woman said, gaze drifting to her phone.

Christen snapped. "Do you even have an idea how amazing your son is?! He is kind, polite and everything you're clearly not. He deserves better than for his mom not even taking a few minutes to listen how he was doing this term."

Tobin let out an exasperated sigh. "I know how amazing Tyler is! And I've got a pretty good idea what you will tell me about his grades and his behavior."

"Really? What's his favorite class? Christen challenged.  
"Art," Tobin answered without hesitation. "But he also loves his science classes."  
The teacher didn't have to look at her notes to know that Tobin was right. Maybe she hadn't given the woman enough credit.   
"As for his behavior...you're probably going to tell me that he's still a bit shy and that we should work on helping him come out of his shell more often."

Christen blinked, caught off guard. It was exactly what she'd wanted to bring up.  
"I-uh. Yes, that was actually a point on my list."  
Tobin nodded as another buzz shook her leg. "Great. If that's all, I can finally head out, right? I'm going to talk to Kara about possible options to help Ty."

Christen was stunned. She couldn't be serious.   
"You know what, Ms. Heath? I'll just call your ex wife myself tomorrow and work something out. Don't bother to stay longer."

She walked to the door and held it open for Tobin to leave. 

The door fell shut. Christen took a deep breath and called Pinoe to rant. God, this woman was rubbing her the wrong way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> Thank you all so much for your kind words, subscriptions, kudos and messages! They mean so much to me! :)  
> I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations.  
> Stay safe and enjoy!

Christen made good on her promise to call Kara Heath the following day in her lunch break. The phone only rang a few seconds.  
"Hello?"  
"Hi Ms. Heath, it's Christen Press, Tyler's teacher. I would like to talk about your son. Do you have a minute?" Christen asked politely, checking the clock to make sure she wouldn't be late for her next lesson.

"Of course. Didn't you talk to Tobin yesterday?" she wanted to know and Christen pursed her lips at the thought of her last encounter with Tobin Heath.  
"What did she do?" Ms. Heath continued with a deep sigh, before Christen could get a word in.

"We- didn't have the time to discuss some extracurricular activities for Tyler," Christen said cautiously, not wanting to disrupt the apparently strained relationship between the two women.  
"Your son is an amazing kid. He gets good grades, stays out of trouble and is very kind but I think it would be good for him to get more involved with the other kids. I feel like it would be good for him to make some friends," Christen continued.

"Thank you for calling, Ms. Press. Tobin wouldn't have told me," the other woman said exasperated. The teacher chose to better not comment on that statement.  
"Anyway... I thought I could give you a list of our school's activities for you and Tyler to find something he might want to do."

"Sounds perfect. Tobin is picking Tyler up today. Could you give her the list?"

"Of course, Ms. Heath." 

After ending the phone call, Christen rubbed her temples in annoyance.  
Wonderful. Another chance to butt heads with the stubborn woman. Maybe she should start bringing her yoga mat to school.

***

"That's it for today, guys!" the teacher said, smiling brightly at her class and packed up as well.  
She got outside and sat down next to Tyler on the bench, that she started to think of as 'their bench'.  
She waved goodbye to the other kids who got picked up and soon they were alone again.

"Any plans for today?" Christen questioned as the boy snatched his sketchbook from his backpack. 

"I don't know if Tobin has planned anything," Tyler said with a shrug and started to sketch the outlines of what Christen assumed had to be Chewbacca.

"You know, my drama group could really use an artist like you to create the scenery," the teacher offered casually.

Tyler's head snapped up. "You'd want me to help with that?"

"Sure! If that's something you're interested in?" Christen said, gauging his reaction. She didn't want him to feel like he was obligated to say yes.

The boy looked down at his sketchbook for a moment.  
"Can I- can I think about it?" he asked shyly.  
Christen smiled kindly at him. "Of course, Tyler. No pressure."  
The white Porsche drove into the parking lot. Looking down at her watch, Christen sighed. 20 minutes late...maybe she should count that as a progress.

Tobin Heath got out of the car, smirk and sunglasses already in place. Today she wore a really ugly yellow pair of shorts and a faded t-shirt. Christen's gaze drifted to her toned legs and stopped at her calves for a second. Damn, was she an athlete or something?

"Good afternoon, Ms. Press, hi Ty! Ready to go?"

Christen stepped in. "I'd like to talk to you in private for a second, Ms. Heath."

Tobin raised her brows but nodded, a curious expression on her face.  
"Ty, would you mind waiting in the car?" The boy ignored her question, climbed into the car and closed the door without another word. 

"Oookay. What can I do for you, Ms. Press?" Tobin inquired, taking a few steps towards her. 

"I've talked to your ex wife and she agreed with me that it wouldn't hurt Tyler to start some extracurricular activities."

Tobin scoffed. "That again? We've talked about this yesterday! Don't you have other kids to mother, Ms. Press?!"

Christen's resolution to stay calm flew out of the window.  
"Are you kidding me?! We didn't talk about this at all! _You_ decided to end the talk before we could discuss this any further!"

"I also told you that I'd speak with Kara about it, didn't I?!" Tobin challenged. 

Christen shook her head. "Well, your ex wife _approved_ my idea." She held the list out for Tobin, who took it without even taking a look.  
" _Of course she did_ ," the other woman mumbled annoyed.  
She shoved the list into her back pocket.

Christen couldn't believe Tobin's childish behavior. "At least take a look, okay?" she tried one last time as Tobin shrugged and moved to her car. "If Ty finds something he actually wants to do. See you 'round, Ms. Press." The Porsche drove off, leaving a displeased Christen behind. 

Feeling like she needed to get rid of the energy, she jogged up to the soccer field, hoping Pinoe would still be around. Fortunately the coach seemed to have just finished practice a few minutes ago and was still busy putting the training gear away.  
"Don't put that ball away yet!"  
Megan, who hadn't heard her approach, jerked and stumbled backwards.  
"Holy shit! Are you trying to kill me?!"  
Christen burst out laughing at Pinoe's startled expression.  
"I'm sorry!" she grinned at her friend and grabbed the ball.

"What are you even doing here, Pressy?" Megan asked as the other woman lined up the ball. Christen kicked it hard, bending it in the right upper corner.  
"Not bad," Pinoe commented on the shot. "Want me to guess what brought you here?"

The teacher retrieved the ball and took another shot. "Tobin Heath. She's just- not even listening and so- ugh!" Christen said, not really making sense.  
The next shot hit the post, causing the goal to shake violently. 

"Woah! Take it easy. What did she do?"  
Christen snorted. "Her ex wife asked me to give her the list of the school's extracurricular activities and she just-"

"Hang on! You actually called her ex today?" Pinoe interrupted with wide eyes. 

"I- yes? I told her I'd do that." 

"Well... maybe you should've waited a day? Y'know, so she actually has the opportunity to talk to her ex?"  
Christen's glare made her friend take a few steps backwards.  
"I'm just saying, Pressy. Maybe she would've talked to her."

"I... suppose you have a point," she sighed and lined the ball up for one last shot. "I might have overreacted a bit."  
The ball hit the back of the net.  
"She's still an asshole."

***

Christen sat down on the bench, waiting for her students to be picked up, greeting parents here and there. It was the first time since Tobin Heath had come back into Tyler's life, delaying his departures, that the boy didn't sit with her.  
He was playing a card game with Amy, the girl he'd been teamed up with in Christen's science class earlier. The teacher secretly hoped that Amy's parents would not be on time. 

"Chris? Christen Press?!"  
A familiar voice got her attention. She turned around and couldn't believe her eyes. A tiny woman with freckles and a huge grin on her face stood in front of her.  
"Kelley?!"  
Kelley almost jumped into Christen's arms to hug her.  
"Oh my god, it's so good to see you! What are you doing here?"  
"A friend asked me to pick her son up," Kelley explained and looked around to find said kid.

"Uh Kelley, you're not on the pick up list," Christen said as she scanned through the names again, wondering if she had missed the name.  
Something seemed to dawn on Kelley because she pointed at Christen excitedly.  
"YOU are the annoying list-lady!" Kelley exclaimed and cackled delightedly. "Oh my god, this is _fantastic!_ "

"What are you even talking about?" Christen asked and raised her brows nervously. If she had learned one thing during her college days, it was that a gleeful Kelley O'Hara _always_ meant trouble.

"I'm here to pick up Tyler Heath. Tobin can't make it today," Kelley said and finally Christen understood. Her face darkened at the thought of the brunette. 

"Pressy, you look like you want to strangle someone. I promise Ty knows me and I'm not trying to kidnap him. Although... maybe I should, he's a great kid," Kelley said and smiled proudly. 

As if on cue Tyler came walking towards them. "Aunt Kelley!" he squealed excitedly and rushed towards them, straight into Kelley's arms.  
She pulled the boy into a crushing hug, both of them grinning broadly. Their interaction was such a stark contrast to the ones she had witnessed between mother and son. She hadn't seen Tyler so carefree and happy before and it brought a smile to Christen's face.

"I've missed you so much," Tyler said as she ruffled his hair.  
"We missed you too, buddy. Would've loved for you to visit us in the last few months."

Tyler smiled sadly at her. "I wanted to visit you. But mommy-she was really sad when Tobin walked out on us." 

Kelley looked at him in surprise. She opened her mouth to say something but seemed to decide against it and Christen had a feeling there was more to the story.  
"Well, just because Tobin wasn't around for a while, doesn't mean we didn't want to see you."  
Tyler nodded. "Are you here to pick me up? Are we going to a soccer game?" His tone was hopeful.

Christen stared at the boy.  
"You like soccer?"  
Tyler nodded animatedly and Kelley patted his shoulder proudly.  
"Ty's one of my biggest fans. He and Tobs even designed our jerseys." The boy's smile faded at the mention of his mother's name. 

"You still play?" Christen asked, trying to divert Ty's focus.  
"Just some pick up soccer with a few friends. You should definitely join us sometime, Pressy."

Now it was Tyler's turn to look at his teacher with wide eyes. "Ms. Press! You play soccer?"  
"She's not any ordinary player. We played together in college and Pressy's the real deal! Your teacher is Stanford's former star forward," Kelley told him in a secretive voice.

Christen shook her head good-naturedly. She'd been smiling through most of the exchange and it hit her how much she had missed her chaotic friend.  
Tyler's stomach growled loudly, turning the attention back to him. His cheeks were pink and he stared down on his shoes again.  
"Someone's hungry. What do you say, Chris? Can I take him with me?" the freckled woman asked, hands on her hips, waiting for the final decision.

"Of course, I wouldn't want Tyler to starve," Christen agreed with a smile. "It was really great to see you again, Kell. It's been too long. If this is a regular occurrence, your name needs to be put on the list, tough."  
Kelley saluted and wrapped her arm around Tyler's shoulder. "Let's get you something to eat. How does pizza sound?"  
Tyler bounced up and down happily. "Amazing!"

"You should really come play with us soon, Chris. Here is my phone number. Just give me a call if you wanna join us or hang out again."  
Kelley handed Christen her business card and left.

The teacher turned the card around in her hands.  
_Dr. Kelley Maureen O’Hara emergency physician_

Wow, Kelley did go to med school after all. The address of the hospital she worked for was just a few blocks away. Kelley had scribbled her phone number below and Christen wondered, if Kelley always had business cards with her personal phone number at the ready. Remembering how easily her friend used to seduce girls during her college days, Kelley was probably well prepared. 

***

"Ms. Press? I think- uh-I'd like to join your drama group," Tyler said two days later, once again sitting on the bench beside her, waiting to be picked up.  
"That's wonderful, Tyler! We'd love to have you!"  
The boy ducked his head and grinned. "Does that mean I don't have to join the baseball team?" 

"The baseball team?" Christen repeated confused.  
"My mommy said I have to try and make friends and that she wants me to join the baseball team."  
"Oh." Christen was taken aback at Ms. Heath's choice. Why would the woman choose baseball and why didn't she give Tyler the chance to decide?  
"Well, that's something you have to discuss with your mom but I could talk to her about it again next week and tell her you'd rather join the drama group."

"Thank you, Ms. Press!" The boy said relieved, just as the Porsche drove into the parking lot.

"Sorry for being late! I tried," Tobin said instead of a greeting as she got out of the car.  
Not in the mood for any discussion today, Christen only nodded curtly and wished them a nice weekend.  
She walked to her car and had just opened the car door when she heard Tyler's "Oh no, shit."  
His backpack seemed to have ripped, scattering its contents on the ground.

She watched them picking up the boy's things from the ground. Her position gave her a nice view of Tobin Heath's backside in tight fitting jeans. Christen swallowed audibly. Tobin was definitely nice to look at.  
Shaking her head at herself she turned her ignition key but nothing happened. Christen tried again and again but the engine didn't start.

She got out of the car and opened the hood, not even sure what she was looking for. Damn it, she was stuck.  
"Need some help?"  
Tobin Heath stood next to her, grinning smugly.  
"No!" Christen said without hesitation. "I can handle it just fine!"  
Tobin raised her brows. "Really? What's wrong with your car, then?"  
Christen sighed defeatedly.  
"I don't know. God, stop looking so smug! What _is_ wrong with it?!"  
Tobin chuckled. "I have no idea. I'm not a mechanic."  
"Thanks for your insight, Ms. Heath," she said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Tyler walked over to them, looking curiously at the engine.  
"Is your car not starting, Ms. Press? We could drive you home, right Tobin?"  
Both adults looked at the kid with wide eyes. It was the first time Tyler had acknowledged his mother. Christen's heart melted at his words. Tyler was so nice and considered and nothing like his mom. 

"Uh- yeah. Sure, we-we can totally do that, buddy," Tobin said, clearly blindsided. She cleared her throat. "Would you like us to give you a ride home?" 

Christen weighed her options. Spending more time than necessary with Tobin Heath wasn't a pleasant thought but it was just a 10 minute drive and with Tyler in the car, how bad could it be?

"That would be nice. Thank you."  
Tyler beamed at her but Tobin looked like she'd bitten on something sour. They walked over to Tobin's fancy sports car, Tyler climbing into the backseat. 

Christen had expected Tyler to be talkative but instead the silence inside the car was awkward. She gave Tobin directions where to drive but otherwise it was quiet.

Tobin's fingers drummed nervously on the steering wheel. "How was your test today, Ty?" she finally asked but the boy just looked out of the window, ignoring her question. _Tobin knew about his test today?_

The tension was making Christen feel uneasy and whenever she felt uneasy, the teacher started to ramble.  
"I'm really glad you decided to join the drama group, Tyler! We're a bit behind the schedule so we can really use your help with the scenery. We might also need help with the costumes."

The kid smiled lightly. "Do you really think I'm good enough for that?"  
"Oh, I know it. You'll be a great addition for us. Amy is also part of the group," Christen said, knowing a familiar face will put him at ease.

"Amy?!" Tobin looked quizzically from her son to Christen but none of them offered anything in return. 

"Thanks for the ride!" the teacher said a few minutes later when they stopped in front of her house. "I really need to walk my dogs."  
"You've got dogs? Can I meet them?" Tyler regarded the backyard eagerly, hoping to see them.  
Tobin and Christen exchanged a quick glance.  
"Ty, we need to get home."  
"You can meet them next time, okay?" _Next time?!_  
Christen hadn't meant to say it like that. Like she expected them to drive her home again. Judging by Tobin's curious look, the other woman had realized her slip up as well.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for your kind words and encouragements!   
> I've gotta work again so I haven't had the time to reply to any comments yet.
> 
> Please keep in mind that I'm not a doctor and just read up on the medical stuff in this story.
> 
> It's time to see what Tobin's life looks like. Let me know what you think :)  
> Stay safe!

"He's still not talking to you, is he?" Kelley asked as she and Tobin grabbed a cup of awful coffee in the hospital's cafeteria before their night shift officially began.

Tobin shook her head defeatedly. "No. He- he just ignores me, Kell. I think he hates me."   
Her stomach churned at the thought of Tyler's blank and unmoving face the last few times she'd seen him.   
"He doesn't hate you! Ty misses you, Tobs," the younger doctor said with a sad smile. 

Tobin wanted to believe her best friend but the way he'd called her "Tobin" around his teacher this afternoon had really hit her hard.  
"He calls me Tobin... I'm not mom anymore," she admitted quietly, pushing her glasses back up her nose again.

"He's a stubborn kid. He'll come around, just don't give up trying," Kelley encouraged and squeezed her shoulder. 

"Yeah, I'll-" Her phone rang. Without checking the caller ID, she accepted the call, welcoming any distraction. "Heath."  
"Finally getting a hold of you," Kara's annoyed voice answered.   
"Everything okay with Ty?" the doctor asked immediately.  
"He's fine. I just wanted to let you know that I've signed him up for the baseball team yesterday."

"What the hell, Kara?!"

"His teacher said Tyler needs to get more involved with the other kids. He doesn't interact with his classmates. I don't want him to be weird someday because he never learned how to socialize." 

Tobin took a calming breath, making sure not to yell at her ex wife.   
"Tyler is not weird! There is nothing wrong with him. Forcing him to join a club that we both know he'll hate, will not help him at all."  
"How would you know, Tobin? You weren't around."   
Her words cut through Tobin, hurting her deeply. This wasn't working, she needed a different approach.

"What about the drama group? He seemed excited to join them. It'll give him an opportunity to open up."

The line was quiet for a second. "He's talking to you again?"  
"No, but he and Ms. Press talked about it in the car."   
Tobin noticed her mistake the moment the words left her mouth. _Fuck!_

"Why was Tyler's teacher in your car, Tobin?" Kara's tone was dangerous.   
"Her car didn't start and we offered her a ride home," the doctor answered honestly. 

"I swear, if you can't keep it in your pants Tobin-"  
"There is absolutely nothing between us! Actually, I'm kinda certain she hates me even more than you do," Tobin interrupted her before Kara could finish her threat.

Kelley gripped her arm for attention and pointed at her watch. Damn, their shift would start in two minutes.  
"I have to go. My shift is about to start. I'll call you tomorrow."   
She ended the call without waiting for an answer.  
"You okay?" Kelley asked, once Tobin had tucked the phone safely away.   
"Yeah. Let's go, I don't wanna think about her the next 12 hours."

It was why Tobin loved her job so much. The patients needed her to stay focused 100% of the time. Work was good. Work was calming. It kept her mind away from thoughts of her ex wife, annoying teachers and a son, who didn't want to talk to her.

Kelley was able to shut up till they got into the elevator.  
"You know she's trying to make you look like an idiot, right?!"

"No she isn't. She's cautious," Tobin argued, not wanting to discuss this right now.

Kelley laughed humorlessly. "I hope you don't actually believe that. I'm not sure I should let you treat the patients, if you're that stupid. Come on, Tobin! She knows your working schedule. Something mysteriously coming up on a short notice so she can't make it to the parent teacher conference, knowing you were on call that day? Or two days ago, when I had to pick him up? How did she handle it before you came back? She's doing it on purpose!"

Her friend asked the questions she'd been asking herself, too.   
The doors opened and they got out, greeting some of the nurses they would be working with tonight. 

"I fucked up. Maybe that's the price I've got to pay," Tobin said, ending their discussion. 

"Good evening Tobin, room three for you," a kind, blonde nurse greeted and handed her the patient's file. "Guy's got a nasty deep cut on his left hand. Wanted to surprise his girlfriend with a nice dinner."

"Ouch, tough luck. Thanks, Sara," Tobin chuckled and took a quick look at the file before entering the examination room. A young couple sat there, seemingly shaken. They were both pale and the blonde woman's hand was clutched tightly in the man's uninjured. Tobin's gaze wandered to her patient's left hand which was wrapped up in a bloody cloth. 

"Hi Mr. Ertz, I'm Dr. Heath. Want me to take a look at your hand?" she asked friendly, putting on a pair of gloves.   
He nodded, obviously not in the mood to talk and offered her his hand.  
Tobin peeled the cloth away and scanned the hand. The cut was indeed deep.  
"What happened?" Tobin asked calmly to distract him, as she started to clean the wound and checked for nerve damage. 

"It's our anniversary today and I wanted to cook some fancy dinner for my girlfriend Julie. I was cutting a carrot and those things are really slippery!" Mr. Ertz explained. His girlfriend smiled at him lovingly and squeezed his hand.

The doctor laughed at his words.  
"Let's get you stitched up, so you can get back to celebrating."

Tobin carefully injected a local anesthetic.  
"Can you feel this?"  
She touched his hand with a pair of tweezers.   
"No."   
He shook his head, looking away as the doctor worked meticulously and with skilled movements to stitch him up. His girlfriend peaked over his shoulder to see what Tobin was doing. She was used to patients or relatives keeping an eye on her while she worked and she didn't mind. 

"There was so much blood! My kitchen looked like a crime scene!" Julie exclaimed with a grimace.

"Mhm...that's actually kinda normal. Hands tend to bleed a lot, making it look worse than it is," Tobin explained with a smile, covering the wound with a bandage.

"Alright Mr. Ertz, we're done! You're good to go." Tobin threw the gloves into the trash.

"Thanks so much Dr. Heath!" Julie said gratefully and her boyfriend nodded along. 

"You're very welcome! Mr. Ertz, don't remove the bandage within the next two days. Those stitches need to come out in about ten days. Please make an appointment with our receptionist," Tobin said, writing a short note for them with instructions. "Enjoy the rest of your evening!" With that she waved and left the room.

It was a slow night for the emergency department, which was generally a good thing. Tobin knew she should be happy about it but it also meant that she had time to think. She was on her second cup of coffee at four in the morning, sitting on one of the plastic chairs to take a small break, when Kelley joined her.

"Hey," the freckled woman said and offered a smile.  
"Hey. You smell disgustingly," Tobin answered, scrunching up her nose. Kelley flipped her off and groaned.   
"A kid puked all over my shoes!" 

Tobin glanced at her friend's feet and laughed. Kelley sat next to her without her shoes on, her green socks sprinkled with vomit. 

"Ew! Stay away from me!" Tobin squeaked and got up as Kelley chose to wiggle her feet right in front of her face.   
"I think I've got a spare pair of socks and some runners in my office. You can have them but please keep your feet on the ground."   
Kelley grinned satisfied and leaned back in her seat. "Thanks."

A broken leg, some minor injuries and a suspected stroke later it was 7 in the morning and their shift was over. Tobin and Kelley walked over to their usual diner, a few blocks away, to eat breakfast before heading home. Both ordered large plates with pancakes, waffles, bacon and fruit. 

"God, I'm starving," Kelley whined while they were waiting for their food.   
"I swear, you're worse than Tyler,"  
Tobin murmured, rolling her eyes. 

Kelley ignored her comment, her expression turning serious again.   
_Uh-oh._  
"Speaking of him, does Kara really want him to join the baseball team?"

Tobin sighed deeply, thinking of the conversation or rather argument she'll have with her ex wife later today.  
"Yep. All thanks to this over the top mother hen teacher. She put this idea into Kara's head!"

"Seriously, what is it with you guys?! I don't think Pressy would do that," Kelley answered, smiling brightly at the waitress who brought their food. "Looks amazing as usual, thank you!"  
Tobin furrowed her brows.   
"Pressy? Oh god... please tell me you didn't flirt with her?!"

Kelley, who had just taken a huge bite of her pancake, coughed violently as it almost went down the wrong pipe.   
"What?!"   
"Well... she's your type? She's hot and kinda bossy," Tobin elaborated and dug into her food. 

A sly grin appeared on her friend's face. "You think she's hot?" Kelley questioned, wiggling her eyebrows.   
Tobin felt her cheeks heating up and took a large swig of her coffee to buy some time.  
"That's not what-I- I do have eyes. She's obviously attractive. Now stop deflecting, O'Hara!" 

Kelley gobbled down half a pancake before she answered. "Dude, Pressy was my best friend in college, she's practically family."

Whatever answer Tobin expected, this certainly wasn't it. She took her time to chew on a piece of bacon, thinking about Tyler's teacher. It was hard to imagine someone like Ms. Press, who seemed so uptight and stiff, being friends with Kelley. When Tobin didn't offer anything in return, Kelley pressed on.  
"I'm sure she'd back you up, if you talk to her like a normal person. Pressy's really perceptive."

"I don't know. I'll think about it." Tobin didn't feel the need to tell Kelley just how much Ty's teacher seemed to dislike her.   
"Mhm... do that, Tobito." Kelley grinned and munched happily.

***  
After a refreshing nap into the early afternoon hours, Tobin tried calling Kara. Voicemail. She tried again a few hours later. Voicemail. 

"Damn it!" Tobin swore loudly and tossed her phone onto the couch, when her ex wife didn't pick up the phone the following day. She should've known that Kara would ghost her for how she ended their last conversation. 

Monday rolled around without having heard of Kara at all. It was a little after 3 pm and Tobin walked out of the examination room, having dealt with an unpleasant rash on the patient's neck and shoulders, when Sam, their receptionist, rushed towards her.  
"Doc, sorry to bother you but Kara called. She can't make it in time to get Tyler and wants you to do it... since you already work so close to the school," Sam repeated the exact words, giving her a sympathetic smile.

Tobin glanced at her watch. Ty's classes had ended 15 minutes ago.   
"Fuck! I need to go and pick Tyler up!" She talked to the chief and apologized profusely for having to leave early again and walked to her office, changing out of her scrubs.

Another 15 minutes later, Tobin finally arrived at Tyler's school. A familiar sight greeted her as she took in the sight of the gorgeous teacher in a beautiful yellow sundress, chatting animatedly with her son.  
Grateful for the tinted windows, Tobin steeled herself for a second.

"Hi, I'm sorry for-" Tobin began as she got out of the car but Ms. Press interrupted her before she could even try to finish her sentence.   
_For heaven's sake! Why can't that woman wait until I've at least apologized?!_

"Nice to see you, Ms. Heath. Only 30 minutes late, that's almost good," the teacher said in a sarcastic tone.   
Tobin couldn't help rolling her eyes.   
"Ready to go, Ty?" she asked and smiled at the boy, hoping to see his goofy grin in return. He shrugged and got up. "See you tomorrow, Ms. Press," he said and got into the car.

"Now or never," Tobin thought as the car door snapped shut.

"Uh-Ms. Press....do you have a minute?"   
The teacher's eyes narrowed but she nodded.  
"Do you think the baseball team is the right choice for Ty?" Tobin asked, cutting to the chase. The other woman mustered her intently.  
"I... don't," she answered slowly, looking at her with a wary expression.

At least Kelley had been right (not that she'd tell her that).   
"Good, because I don't want to force my son."  
Tobin could see some kind of argument coming by the way Ms. Press opened her mouth and decided to just beat her to it.  
"I do not say that because I'm trying to get out of my responsibilities as a parent!" Tobin assured her quickly. "I know that Ty has some issues we've gotta work on...but I don't think this is the right way. I'm not gonna make him to join the team and it would be good, if you had my back."

Ms. Press studied her for a long moment. The woman seemed surprised by Tobin's almost passionate speech.  
"Okay."  
Okay?! That was all she was going to say?   
"Oh, good. That was all."   
Tobin gave her a quick wave and walked to the driver's side.  
"Thank you, Ms. Press," she said sincerely and got into the car.

The silence inside the car was deafening. "How was your day?" Tobin tried but the boy ignored her and stared out of the window.  
"Are you gonna ignore me for the rest of your life?" No reaction. She turned the radio up to drown out the silence and tried to order her thoughts for the impending discussion with her ex wife. 

Kara's car was already parked in front of the garage when they arrived.  
Tobin got out of the car, feeling as if she was walking to her own funeral.

Kara opened the door before Tobin had even touched the bell and greeted them.  
Tyler hugged his mother tightly and disappeared into the house.

_Let's get this over with._  
“Look Kara, Ty wants to join the drama group... I just don’t see why we can’t let him join them instead of the baseball team,” Tobin started.  
The blonde rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips.  
“He is _my_ son, Tobin. I decide what’s best for him.”

Tobin balled her hands into fists, trying to control her temper.  
“I adopted him, Kara. He’s as much my son as he is yours,” she hissed quietly.

Kara however did not try to keep her temper.   
“You know what?! I should’ve never let you in his life to begin with. It’s hardly surprising that he isn’t normal!“ She said it with so much venom that Tobin took a step backwards.

The woman she once loved would’ve never talked this way. It hurt to see this side of Kara. Those irrational accusations needed to stop.   
“He’s perfectly fine! Just because he doesn’t fit _your_ description of a boy his age, doesn’t mean something’s wrong with him! He’s shy but that’s something we can work on together. Please, let me help and be a part of his life again, Kara. I love him so much!” Tobin hated the way her voice broke. 

Kara crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe, not saying anything at all. Getting desperate, Tobin threw all caution in the wind and said: “Ms. Press agrees with me that the baseball team is not a good option.”

She shouldn’t have said it. Kara’s cheeks turned red and her glare was murderous.   
“Really? Talking to the teacher behind my back now, Tobin? Or did you _just conveniently_ drive her home again?”

The color drained from Tobin’s face.   
“No, it’s not- I didn’t- I drove Ty here alone,” she sputtered, hastily making sure Kara didn’t get the wrong impression. 

The blonde eyed her suspiciously, before she sighed.   
“You’re not playing fair, Tobin. I’m not the villain here. I’ll call Ms. Press tomorrow, no baseball team for now.”

“Thank you, Kara,” Tobin breathed out in relief. She couldn’t wait to get away from here.  
Talking to Kara used to be one of her favorite things in the world. The journalist had been witty and smart, challenging her in the best ways. Now they were barely on speaking terms and Tobin hated it.   
Those crystal blue eyes were missing the warmth and love, they once had for her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello beautiful people,
> 
> unfortunately I won't be able to update within the next 10 days or so. Work is crazy right now. 
> 
> Thank you guys so much for your comments. Every single one puts a smile on my face and is greatly appreciated.  
> Now, without further ado, enjoy the next chapter!

Chapter 4

Christen's day started earlier than she had wanted it to. Morena, one of her beloved dogs, seemed to have decided that it was time for her owner to get up and licked her face enthusiastically. Groaning and giggling at the same time, the teacher scratched the dog behind her ears and got up to make some coffee.

The dogs jumped around her excitedly, as if they wanted to tell her that today would be a good day. "Come on, girls. Let's go for a run," she smiled and put on her running shoes. Taking the scenic route by the river, Christen enjoyed the peace of this early morning, laughing at Khaleesi who chased some pigeons. 

After a refreshing shower and a green smoothie, she was ready for the day. The teacher grabbed her newest book about meditation, just in case Tobin Heath would make them late again, and left her dogs with her neighbor. 

The morning flew by while her class did an experiment with flowers and colored water. Soon it was time for the lunch break and she ushered the class out to the school canteen.   
Christen was about to follow them, when her phone rang.

"Press."  
"Hello Ms. Press, it's Kara Heath, Tyler's mom."  
There was no need to remind her who she was. The Heaths had been on Christen's mind all weekend, especially Tobin. To say the other woman had surprised her would be an understatement. The way she spoke about her son and the things she said... they did not sound like she didn't care about him.

"What can I do for you, Ms. Heath?" Christen asked slowly, hoping that she wouldn't be dragged into an argument between the mothers.   
"I talked to Tyler and... maybe the baseball team isn't the best option for him. He really wants to join the drama group," the other woman explained.

After her talk with Tobin Heath on Friday, the teacher doubted that Kara actually talked to her son and wondered why she was lying.   
"Wonderful. He'll be a great addition for the group," Christen responded cautiously. 

"Yes, I've actually been wondering, if you could use some help?"   
"You want to help with the preparations for the play?" Christen asked for clarification. 

"Yes!" came the enthusiastic reply.   
The teacher ran a hand through her curls, unsure what to answer. The drama group could always use some helping hands and if it had been the parent of another kid, she'd say yes without a second thought. She wasn't sure it would be helpful for Tyler to have his mother constantly around though. 

"Well... before you decide, please be aware that it is a commitment and will take up a certain amount of time once we get closer to the premiere," Christen said, hoping the other woman would be busy enough to think about it twice. 

"Oh, I don't mind. I'm a freelancer and can make the time," Kara answered and Christen sighed inwardly. 

"Let's start next week and see how it goes?" Christen suggested reluctantly and Ms. Heath agreed happily, exchanging a few meaningless pleasantries before she ended the call. 

***

Christen sat down on the bench with her book. Most kids have already been picked up. Tyler, of course, wasn't one of them. He and Amy were enjoying their time together on the playground.   
She had just started reading, when the white Porsche drove into the parking lot making her wonder, if she was hallucinating.   
Tobin Heath being only 5 mins late?! 

The woman got out of her car, looking for her son.  
"Tyler's still playing with Amy," Christen said, waving towards the playground.

"Ah, I see," Tobin replied and sat down on the bench next to her. Christen could feel the heat radiating from the other woman's body, making her nervous.   
"Don't you want- want to get him?" 

Tobin stretched out her legs and leaned back, looking way too relaxed, hands folded behind her head.  
"Nah, it's fine by me, if he's having fun till Amy's parents pick her up."

They sat in silence, Christen trying hard to focus on her book. She's been reading the same sentence for the fifth time, when Tobin spoke again.

"You meditate?" she asked, gesturing to the book in Christen's hands.

"Yes, I-"

"Tobin!" Tyler's yell reached them, before they saw the kid in person, running towards them.  
Both adults looked at each other with wide eyes, when he addressed his mother.  
"What's wrong, Ty?" Tobin asked immediately when she saw the frightened look on her son's face.  
"Amy fell! She slipped and fell down the slide...I-I think she's hurt her leg," the boy answered out of breath.   
"Show me," Tobin ordered and jumped up, following him hot on his heels. Christen stood there paralyzed for a few seconds, until she finally snapped out of it and jogged after them. 

They reached the playground, Tobin instantly crouching down next to the crying girl. Christen wanted to make sure she was doing okay too but Tyler blocked her way, as if to make sure, she wouldn't stand in the way.

"Hey sweetie, I'm Tobin. Wanna tell me what happened?," Christen heard Tobin ask with a soft and calm voice.  
Amy sniffled miserably. "W-wanted to stand on the slide b-but then I s-slipped and fell." Her bottom lip wobbled as she looked down at her pants. They were ripped at the knee.   
"It's gonna be okay, Amy," Tobin said soothingly. "Where does it hurt?" 

Amy pointed at the scrapes on her knees and then to her neck. Tobin turned around to them.   
"Ty, go and grab my kit, please. It's still in the trunk!" She threw the keys towards him, before turning her attention back to Amy. Tyler caught them easily and ran to her car. Mother and son looked so well attuned in this short moment. What the hell had happened between those two?

"The school has a first aid case in the foyer. I can get it," Christen said, drawing the other woman's attention to her for a second.

"I'd rather use my own," Tobin replied curtly, focusing back on the girl.   
"Amy, is it okay, if I check your neck?" she asked for permission. The girl nodded, grimacing a bit, as Tobin's hands slid gently along her neck. 

Tyler came back, shouldering the woman's...first aid kit?  
Christen furrowed her brows, eyeing the huge leather bag. It almost looked like-  
"Don't worry Amy. My m- Tobin is an amazing doctor. She'll help you," Tyler said reassuringly and offered her an encouraging smile.

Not only Tobin stared at him for a second with wide eyes.  
 _Of course. Of course she's a doctor!_   
Christen couldn't believe she didn't see it before. She should've made the connection, when Kelley gave her the business card!

The teacher wouldn't want to admit it but watching the soft and patient way Tobin Heath interacted with Amy was endearing and utterly unexpected. It was a stark contrast to the woman she'd gotten to know over the last few days. The girl had stopped crying altogether and hung on every word the doctor said as she checked her for a concussion. After cleaning the wound, she pulled two small boxes out of her bag.

"Now to the most important part," Tobin said with a serious expression. "What kinda bandaid would you like? I've got Disney princesses or Pokémon."   
The doctor grinned and showed Amy the bandaids.  
"I want a Pokémon, please!" Amy said excitedly. Tobin opened the box and held the different bandaids out for her to choose.  
"What's your favorite Pokémon, Amy?" Tobin inquired, as if that was an important fact she needed to know.  
The girl thought for a second and grinned. "I love Squirtle!"   
"Well young lady, you're in luck. I've got a Squirtle bandaid for you. Glad you chose that one, now I get to keep Charmander all for myself."

Christen had no idea, what those two were discussing. She might've been a Star Wars nerd but her knowledge about Pokémon was nonexistent. 

Tobin helped Amy to her feet and brushed some sand away. "I'm gonna wait until your parents are here, just in case you need anything," she explained with a kind smile that made Christen's heart beat faster. _Traitor. You don't like her, remember?_   
She shook her head, as if she could get rid of this feeling. 

"Can Amy and I go play some more?" Tyler asked his mother with hopeful eyes.   
"Y-yeah but no running around. Amy needs to rest."   
Tobin's voice sounded hoarse.   
"I've got some Pokémon cards with me. Wanna see them?" Tyler asked.  
Amy nodded eagerly and followed him back to the school's entrance, leaving them alone on the playground. 

For the first time since the awful parent teacher conference, they were alone.   
"I didn't know, you were a doctor,"  
Christen blurted out as the silence stretched between them.   
Tobin cleared her throat and zipped up her bag.   
"Why would you? You didn't ask."  
That was true. She'd just made assumptions.

Christen bit her lip.   
"Thank you for helping Amy."   
Tobin got up and flashed her a quick smile.  
"Anytime, Ms. Press. I'd rather keep an eye on her, though."  
They walked back to the parking lot, where the kids occupied Christen's usual bench, both leaning over a stack of Pokémon cards.

Tobin looked at her son fondly. "He's a huge Pokémon fan."  
"Seems like you guys have that in common," Christen smirked.   
"You seemed pretty excited at the prospect of keeping that one Pokémon."  
The doctor glared at her in mock offense. "Hey, I'll have you know that Charmander is the best! It's orange!" Tobin stated matter of factly, causing Christen to giggle. 

Both adults watched the kids for a moment. "I'm glad he's getting along with her so well," Tobin confessed. "The divorce has taken a toll on him."

Christen was certain that Tyler wasn't the only one who'd been suffering because of the divorce but chose not to comment on it.   
"Don't worry, he'll love the drama group. Even if he doesn't, we're going to find something else for him. Seems like you didn't need my help after all. Your ex wife called me today... no baseball for Tyler." 

Tobin sighed in relief. "Good. Thank you."   
Christen was about to answer as Amy's mom pulled into the parking lot. The girl hugged her mother, excitedly showing off her super cool bandaid. 

"That's my cue," Tobin winked and quickly introduced herself to Mrs. Tucker. She explained what happened, reassuring her that Amy was okay.  
"Just keep an eye on her today. If she experiences nausea or vertigo, don't hesitate to call me," the doctor said, pulling out her card and a pen and scribbled her phone number on it.   
"Thank you so much, Dr. Heath!" Mrs. Tucker said gratefully, tucking the card away.   
"You're welcome. Take care, Amy."  
Christen and Tobin waved them goodbye. 

"Ready to go home, Ty?" Tobin asked as the boy had stored his cards safely back into his bag.   
Tyler looked at her like he wasn't sure, if he wanted to answer or ignore her question. He settled for a curt nod and got into the car.

Tobin's face fell for a second. The careful mask she hid behind, disappeared. Her brown eyes were open and, oh so vulnerable. Christen reached out and touched her elbow to offer some comfort. The doctor looked startled at Christen's hand on her skin and cleared her throat.  
"I should go. See you around, Ms. Press." Just then the mask was back in place.  
"Bye, Dr. Heath." 

***  
 _It's none of your business._   
She couldn't help it, though. Sitting on her couch, with the dogs curled up next to her and one of her favorite tv shows playing, Christen's thoughts wandered back to the doctor. All she needed was a good distraction. She went into the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea.

Kelley's business card, still laying on the kitchen counter, caught her eye. It would be nice to rekindle her friendship with her. No one was a better distraction than Kelley.   
Grabbing her phone, Christen finally put Kelley's number in. 

_Hi Kelley, it's Christen. Want to grab a coffee with me some time this week?_

**Kelley**   
_Knew you were going to ask me out eventually. Picking you up Wednesday after school?_

Christen rolled her eyes but grinned nevertheless.  
 _Sounds great._


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Thank you all so much for your comments and your patience!  
> Hope this chapter was worth the wait :)

Kelley was already outside waiting for her when Christen and her class got out of the building. Tyler hugged her tightly like the last time Christen had seen them together.  
"Hey buddy! How was your day?" Kelley asked, a huge grin on her face, as the boy explained excitedly what he's been up to all day. 

Christen watched their interaction with a fond smile. Bringing out people's carefree side was somehow Kelley O'Hara's superpower. "Can I visit you again soon, aunty Kelley?" Tyler asked with a hopeful expression. 

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Ty!" Kara Heath was walking towards them, answering Tyler's question before Kelley had even opened her mouth. With her expensive pant suit, her blonde hair in a tight and elegant bun and flawless makeup, the woman's appearance was a stark contrast to the casual style Dr. Heath wore every day. 

"Kelley is a busy doctor, remember? She doesn't have time to hang out with you."  
Throwing a disapproving glance at Kelley, she stood next to her son, putting a hand on his shoulder. The boy looked at his shoes, nodding slowly. "I'm sorry."

Christen hated the crestfallen look on his face. The doctor clenched her jaw and Christen was certain that her friend was trying to hold herself back in front of Tyler.  
"Kara. It's been a while," she said coldly with her best fake smile.  
"To answer your question, Ty... of course you can visit me again! I'd love to hang out with you." 

Kara's brows shot up. "Why don't you go and wait in the car, honey?" Her tone was friendly but allowed no discussion. The boy looked back and forth between his mother and Kelley but complied.  
"See you tomorrow, Ms. Press," he mumbled and dragged his feet to the car.  
"Bye Ty, take care!" 

Once he was out of earshot Kara turned to Kelley. "What are you even doing here?"  
Kelley looked at Christen, seemingly unsure what to answer.  
The blonde's eyes had followed her gaze, landing on the teacher with a raised eyebrow.  
"I see. That's how it is. Well, Ms. Press, I hope that this _thing_ will not cloud your judgement towards my son once she's done with you."

"Kelley is an old friend of mine, Ms. Heath," Christen said with a frosty smile, ignoring the underlying accusation completely. It wasn't worth starting an argument, Christen had a feeling that Kara Heath had made up her mind anyway. Kelley however, didn't have her temper in control. 

"What the hell is wrong with you?! First telling him I wouldn't be able to spend time with him and now you think I'm starting a fling with his teacher?" Her voice shook with so much anger that Christen put a calming hand on her shoulder.  
"How can you do this to your son?! How can you do this to Tobin?" 

"What would you know about this, Kelley? You've never had a real relationship in all the years I've known you. Tyler doesn't want to spend time with Tobin. It's his decision."

Kelley scoffed and was about to reply as Christen stepped in.  
"I think this is neither the right time nor the right place to discuss this topic. Tyler is waiting in the car. It was nice seeing you again, Ms. Heath," she ended the discussion politely, grabbed Kelley's arm, dragging her away from Kara. 

"Safe to say you're not each other's greatest fans, huh?" Christen said once Kelley had calmed down.  
"No," she chuckled darkly. "We got along while she and Tobs were still married but since the divorce she's been an insufferable bitch."

They got into Kelley's car, having decided to go to one of these nice tiny coffee shops closer to the river.  
"How long have you known the Heaths?" Christen asked casually as the freckled woman typed the address into the GPS.  
"Tobs and I go way back. We went to med school together and have been friends ever since. Great to have her back now." 

Christen had to bite her tongue to keep herself from asking what Kelley meant. Her phone pinged with a message from her neighbor. 

"Damn it, would you mind a small detour? My neighbor, who watches my dogs, has a work emergency." 

"No problemo, Pressy! Lead the way!" Kelley said excitedly and followed Christen's directions. 

"I'm so sorry, Christen, I just really need to get to the office," her neighbor apologized when they arrived. 

"Don't worry about it. We were nearby anyway." She grinned as Morena and Khaleesi both greeted Kelley with great enthusiasm, the doctor returning it just as much. 

"Hot date?" her neighbor mouthed, watching Kelley going down on hands and knees to play with the dogs.  
Christen laughed out loud. "God, no. She's an old friend from college."  
"Wish I could stay longer but I really need to go. Gonna talk to you later, Chris. Bye," she waved at Kelley and ran towards her car. 

"There is this nice cafe down the street that allows dogs. Is it okay if we just go there?"  
"Sure. Nice to see that you actually got yourself some dogs. I know you've been dreaming of having one in college," Kelley said smiling at the dogs, who obediently followed them as they walked down the street. 

Christen beamed. "Getting a dog was a top priority when I moved into the house." 

Once they got their orders and found a seat outside in the sun, Kelley looked at her with an amused expression.  
"What?"  
"Really, Chris? Whole wheat muffin and a green tea?"  
"You're a doctor Kelley, you should know about this thing called arteriosclerosis?" Christen said and rolled her eyes at the huge bite her friend took from her donut. 

"Still ruining my fun. You're just like Tobin."  
A "I'd hope not." Was on the tip of her tongue but Christen decided to go with a snort. 

"Maybe we wouldn't have to, if you didn't have the diet of a 9 year old." 

Kelley shook her head and smiled. "Missed you, Chris."

"Missed you too, Kell. It's good to have you back in my life."

"Speaking of life. How's your love life doing? Seeing anyone right now?" Kelley asked, not caring about being nosy at all.

"I'm taking it back. You're a pain in the ass," Christen retorted with a groan.

"Which means you're a single pringle." 

"Maybe," Christen murmured into her cup. "You sound just like my friend Pinoe. I am happy. I don't need a relationship to be happy." 

"And we know that. Doesn't mean we don't want you to enjoy your life _and_ have someone to come home to," Kelley shrugged, grabbing the second donut. 

"Since that is so important to you, are you seeing someone?" Christen asked, directing Kelley's focus away from her. 

The freckled doctor took her time chewing her donut, delaying the answer for a few seconds.  
"I am."  
That was not what Christen had expected. She grinned excitedly. "Really? Someone finally tamed wild Kelley O'Hara?" 

"It's still kinda new. We've been seeing each other for a few weeks now but, yeah, it feels good. She's um... actually one of the residents in the hospital."  
Kelley blushed at her admission and rushed to point out. "Not in my department, obviously. Just- don't tell Tobin. It's not official, yet."

"Why would I tell Tobin?" Christen wondered, raising her brows.

"Oh c'mon Pressy! Ty and I have been texting. I know she drove you home a few days ago." 

Now it was Christen's turn to blush. Damn it.  
"I- that- my car didn't start! It wasn't like I was enjoying my time with her!" Kelley's smirk said more than a thousand words. She didn't believe her one bit. 

Christen cleared her throat and took a sip of her green tea.  
"Just make sure not to step on Kara's toes, okay?" Kelley warned, a concerned look flickering over her face.  
The teacher nodded with a frown. "I will, thanks. She wants to help with my drama group... so we've got to get along somehow." 

The doctor shook her head in annoyance. "She can't be serious! Now she suddenly has time to help the drama group?!" 

"Kelley..." Christen began cautiously. "I know it's none of my business but...what happened with Tobin and Kara? Why does she hate her so much?" 

Kelley sighed, putting down her donut. "That's not my story to tell, Pressy. Whatever Kara might say about her... please give Tobin the benefit of the doubt, okay? She's made some mistakes but she is not a bad person and she is a wonderful mother." 

Christen's thoughts went back to the few glimpses of Tobin Heath's soft side. It wasn't difficult to believe Kelley's words.

They talked for another hour before Morena and Khaleesi started to feel restless.  
"That seems to be my cue," the teacher said as Khaleesi put her head on Christen's leg with an exasperated sigh like she wanted to remind her that it was now finally time to go for a walk.

Kelley hugged her tightly and bend down to hug the dogs as well.  
"Don't be a stranger, Pressy. And think about my offer. Our team could use another good forward." 

***

Christen knew she'd made the right choice to have Tyler meet the rest of the drama group without his mother. Although a bit reserved, it didn't take the others much time to warm up to him. The kids loved Tyler's drawings and Collin, one of the 6th graders and a major Star Wars fan, took him under his wing.  
Tobin had been right, Tyler wasn't antisocial in any way and didn't need training for it. He just had to work on his shyness. This was the perfect place for him. 

The next days came and went and the dreaded Thursday, when Kara Heath would join Christen's group, came closer.  
Tobin picked her son up twice and was, to Christen's and Tyler's surprise, on time. Instead of ignoring Christen, she gave her a small wave when she drove off. 

In the blink of an eye, it was Thursday afternoon and the loud click of heels approaching the auditorium bode ill for the next two hours.  
Kara Heath appeared in the doorway, dressed to kill with 6 inch heels, a perfectly tailored black dress suit and dark sunglasses.  
"Tyler, honey!" she practically screeched, gaining everyone's attention. "Don't you want to greet your mommy?!"  
_Oh god. I should've said no._  
Tyler, who'd been in the middle of a conversation for one of the set designs turned beet red and stared at his mother like a deer in headlights. 

"Hi Ms. Heath, glad you could join us today," Christen jumped in, to give Tyler some time to recover.  
Ms. Heath let out a girlish giggle that made Christen's toes curl. She didn't have much in common with the women she'd met at the beginning of the term and the teacher had a sinking feeling that Kara Heath was on a mission to embarrass her son enough to make sure he didn't want to come back to this group. 

The woman walked up to her son and pulled him into a hug before she kissed him on the cheek. Once his mother was done, Tyler looked down on his shoes.  
Kara turned to Christen, a smile on her face. "What can I do to help?"

_How about leaving?_  
The atmosphere was tense, exactly how Christen did not want it to be. She wanted her kids to feel safe and accepted and this woman was certainly not helpful at all.  
"Well, we wanted to discuss who wants to play which role," the teacher explained and flopped back down in her seat. 

"Surely it's not just a discussion? The kids with the most talent get the important roles?" Kara inquired loudly and Christen wanted to kick her.  
"Every role is important for the play, Ms. Heath. No matter if you're on the stage or behind the stage, it's a team effort."  
Kara Heath nodded with a fake smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I didn't mean to imply otherwise."

She sat down and Christen tried her best not to be annoyed by her presence as she led her kids through a discussion about who might fit into which role. The teacher gave them each a few lines to practice until next time.

Some kids, like Tyler and Collin, decided they didn't want to be actors. Collin wanted to help with the lights and Tyler volunteered to take care of the scenery and the sound effects. 

"Tyler, you can't be serious! I allowed you to go to this activity and now you don't even want to be an actor!" Kara scolded sharply. "If you want to draw something, you can do that at home." 

The boy flinched at her words and Christen had to fight the impulse to just go to the principal after this and get her banned.  
"I- I'm sorry, mommy," he sighed and looked at Christen with sad eyes. "Ms. Press, I'd like to get a role in the play as well."

"That's my boy."  
Christen closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath.  
"Of course, Tyler. We'll find a role for you." 

Christen ended the drama group a few minutes earlier than usual. She couldn't wait to get away from this woman.  
"Well, Ms. Press, you certainly have an interesting teaching concept. It seems like you do not really need me for help here. I'm looking forward to see what kind of role you will assign to my son."

The message was loud and clear. Kara would be out of her hair, as long as Christen made sure Tyler had to be one of the actors. Probably hoping her son felt uncomfortable enough to quit the drama group. 

Once she was alone, Christen picked up her phone.

**Christen**  
_I hate her._

**Kelley**  
_What did she do?_

Instead of replying, Christen called her and broke out in a 30 minute rant about Kara Heath's behavior. 

***

Kara made sure to pick Tyler up the following week, always a sweet fake smile in place when she greeted Christen.  
On Thursday, just as Christen had waved off the last remaining kids, a familiar white Porsche drove into the parking lot.  
"What are you doing here?" Christen asked slightly irritated.  
The doctor looked at her in confusion. "I'm...picking Ty up?"

"Tyler's part of the drama group every Thursday," the teacher reminded her and the doctor groaned.  
"Shit! I forgot about it. Right, today's Thursday... sorry."

Christen gave her a quick once over. She had dark circles under her eyes and seemed like she was about to collapse.  
"Hey, are you okay?" the teacher asked worriedly, taking a step towards her.

"Yes, thanks. Just tired," Tobin answered with a shrug. "Well...I guess, I'm just gonna wait here until Ty's done."

Christen hesitated for a moment but decided that it couldn't be any worse than last week.  
"Would you like to join the drama group today?"

Tobin gaped at her. "Are you sure that's okay?"  
The teacher sighed. "Well, it might give you a chance to bond with your son, doesn't it?"  
The doctor nodded and a slow smile spread over her lips. "Thank you, Ms. Press."

Christen led them to the auditorium, where the rest of the group was already chatting animatedly.

"Hi guys, we've got a guest today. This is Tyler's mom, Dr. Tobin Heath," Christen introduced Tobin to her students.  
"Please, just call me Tobin," the doctor said easily, grinning at the group. The mood didn't shift like it did the prior week when Kara Heath showed up and Christen took that as a good sign. 

One of them raised his hand.  
"Yes, Michael?"  
"I thought we've met Tyler's mom last week?!"  
Before Christen could answer the question, Tobin took a step forward, a kind smile on her face.  
"That's because Ty has two moms. I'm his other mom. Sometimes kids have two moms or two dads."  
Christen threw a quick glance at Tyler, who just quietly nodded along to what Tobin said, apparently not worried about how the others might take the news. 

Michael seemed to be satisfied with the answer for now and Christen could hear Tobin's sigh of relief. 

The teacher instructed the kids to sit down on the stage in a large circle.  
"Hi... Tobin," Amy greeted her excitedly when Tobin sat down next to her.  
"Hi Amy, how's the knee?"  
The kid lifted her jeans to show her. "All good. Squirtle healed it."  
Christen, who had been following their interaction with a small grin, cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. Tobin looked at her with a guilty smile and made a zip up motion along her lips that had a few students giggling. 

They played a few team building games to loosen up a little before Christen gave them 30 minutes of individual preparation time, to work on their lines, the costumes or, in Tyler's case, on the scenery.  
The teacher walked around, answering questions and offering advice. Tobin was talking to the costume design group, when Tyler suddenly walked up to his mom. 

"Tobin, I can't get the orange for the sunset right... can you help me mix the colors?" the boy asked quietly, not looking into her eyes. He was offering her an olive branch and it made Christen's heart swell for them.

"Yes, of course Ty! Let's go," the doctor answered in a hoarse voice and the teacher could've sworn she saw her blink away some tears. 

Once Christen had talked to all of the groups, she slowly made her way backstage where Tyler and Tobin were working. She paused a few feet away, quietly watching how mother and son worked together, both painting the huge white fabric in a warm orange tone with precise strokes of their brushes. 

Christen couldn't hear what they were talking about but just finally seeing them talk again was enough to know, that she'd made the right decision to invite the doctor to her drama group. 

And if Christen happened to extend the preparation phase to give them a few more moments together...so what? 

The last 30 minutes were for the students to perform their lines and act out the scenes they've gotten last week. Some were better than others but overall Christen was positive, that most kids could keep their selected roles. 

The only problem left... was Tyler. The teacher hadn't assigned a role to him yet, wanting to talk to him first. 

"Tyler, Dr. Heath, could you please stay a moment longer?"  
Both Heaths nodded and waited for the others to leave. 

"Look, Ms. Press, if this is about the curtain-" Tobin stopped when she saw Christen's confused expression.  
"The curtain? No that wasn't- wait. What _is_ wrong with the curtain?" She eyed both of them suspiciously.  
Tyler and Tobin had both the same innocent look on their faces that Christen didn't buy for a second. 

"Erm...there might be some orange paint on the seam... I might've been a bit too enthusiastic when I mixed the colors."  
Tyler snickered at his mom's words and even Christen couldn't help but grin at her. "I'll just send you the cleaning bill."

"Fair enough. What did you want to talk about, then?"  
"Well, we haven't talked about your role, Tyler," Christen addressed him cautiously. The boy tensed at her words. "I- I'll just take any role as long as I don't have too many lines," he pleaded and Christen's heart broke for him. 

"You want to act, too?" Tobin asked surprised.  
"Mommy wants me to act. She says it'll be good for me," Tyler replied and shuffled his feet.

Tobin's eyes turned steely. "I see."  
The teacher could feel the doctor's inner struggle to stay calm. 

"Is there anything that would make you feel more comfortable on stage?" Christen asked him, hoping that they could make this easier for him, one step at a time.

"I'd feel better if Amy is on stage with me," he admitted, cheeks turning pink.

"Okay. That's something we can work with. We'll figure it out, Tyler," she said encouragingly. 

"What about you, Dr. Heath? Seems like you had fun today. Want to join us again next week?" 

"I'd love to!" The doctor beamed at her, thankful for a chance to spend more time with her son. 

"Great. Remember that we'll meet on Wednesday next week, since the school's orchestra has a practice on Thursday."

***  
**Kelley**  
_Seems like you've had another Heath helping your drama group today. Already asking her to come back again?_

The teacher rolled her eyes, wondering if Tobin was the one who told her or Tyler. 

**Christen**  
_She's not as annoying as I thought she would be._

Kelley's next text was a PDF. It was Tobin's working schedule.  
_What the fuck?!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> First of all, I wanna thank you all so much for your kudos, the subscriptions and especially the amazing comments! I loved every single one of them!   
> You blew my mind. So this is my little surprise update for you. Hope you have a great weekend.  
> Stay safe!

Tobin sat at her desk, still filling out forms. The stack of paperwork slowly decreased but she knew, she'd be stuck here for another couple of hours. Pushing her glasses back up her nose every once in a while, the doctor felt her concentration wavering.

She didn't know when she ate something the last time and just as she considered going upstairs to grab a snack from the vending machine, a knock on the door ripped her out of her thoughts.   
"Come in."

The door opened and... Christen Press appeared in the frame, smiling tentatively at her.   
"Hi, Dr. Heath, sorry for the interruption, Kelley let me in."   
The teacher held up a cup of coffee and-  
"Sandwiches!" Tobin felt her body coming back to life and sat up straighter as Christen handed her the bag. 

"Oh my god, you're a lifesaver," Tobin mumbled, grabbed a turkey sandwich out of the bag and took a huge bite.   
The teacher nodded and took a seat in front of Tobin's desk. Her expression turned serious.   
"Figured you'd be stuck in here when you didn't show up for the drama group today."  
 _Fuck!_

"Shit! What time is it?!"   
The doctor rummaged between the papers until she found her phone. It was off.   
"Damn! My phone died. I'm so sorry, Ms. Press! I set an alarm to make sure I wouldn't miss it. I-"  
Christen held up her hand to get her attention. It was such a teacher thing to do, that Tobin had to smile for a second.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it. I talked to Kelley and she told me that Wednesdays are usually your paperwork days where you hide in your office and even forget to eat. Can't have you starve, now that you're part of the drama group, so I figured, I'd bring you some food since the school is close..." 

Stunned by her admission Tobin nodded. "Oh, yeah. Thank you. I-I am really hungry," Tobin finished lamely. She took the phone, plugging it in to recharge and started fiddling with her glasses again, suddenly nervous. Being in this small room alone with Ms. Press had her stammering like a teenager. Ugh, Kelley would have a field day, if she saw her.   
_Get a grip. She's just Ty's teacher! Ty!_

"What about Ty? Was... was he mad when I didn't show up?" Her heart sunk. What if he'd go back to ignoring her? He was finally opening up again and she had just fucked it up! 

Ms. Press seemed to sense her distress and put a steadying hand on hers. "Not gonna lie, he wasn't thrilled but he didn't get mad or sad. I... might have told him that I called you, to tell you that it wasn't necessary for you to show up, because I wanted it to be about the students today," she explained and bit her bottom lip, looking at the doctor with innocent eyes. 

Dumbfounded, Tobin stared back at the teacher, eyes fixed on those beautiful lips. "You... lied for me?"  
"I bent the truth for you," Christen corrected her with a wink. Or more like... a weird blink with both eyes that looked so adorable that Tobin couldn't help but smile. 

"Look, Dr. Heath-"  
"Tobin."  
"Huh?"  
"If you're already lying for me, please call me Tobin."  
The teacher thought about it for a moment and nodded.   
"Okay. If you call me Christen,then."  
"Sure. Thank you for covering up for me, Christen," Tobin said sincerely. 

Christen took a deep breath and Tobin had a feeling that she was about to get lectured.  
"It was this one time, Tobin. I'm not gonna do that again. I can see that you care about Tyler deeply and I know that you didn't miss this on purpose but you have to get your shit together! He's been so much more open since he's got you back in his life. Don't ruin that tiny bit of trust by getting lost over paperwork."

Tobin swallowed hard. She was right. If she didn't try to work this out, she would end up losing her son altogether.  
"I- uh," the doctor cleared her throat. "You're right. Thank you for having faith in me. I know, I need to be better. I want to be better."

Christen squeezed her hand encouragingly.   
"I know you're not to blame for _all_ the times you've been late. Sometimes your job _will_ get in the way. Try to make sure it's not the norm and Tyler will understand those times when you can't avoid it."

The teacher let go of her hand and got up. "He's actually kind of proud of his cool mom, you know?"  
Christen had her hand wrapped around the door handle as Tobin jumped up. "Wait!" she said suddenly, surprising not only Christen but herself.  
"You don't have to leave. Please, stay and share the sandwich with me?"  
The other woman's stare had Tobin fiddling with her glasses again.

"You look good with your glasses on," Christen said and sat back down on the chair, "more professional and less arrogant."  
She smirked and reached out for the bag but Tobin snatched it away before the teacher could get her hands on it.   
"Arrogant?" She challenged, cocking an eyebrow, holding up the bag. Christen pouted but Tobin wasn't budging.  
"Okay, I take it back," the teacher relented. "Can I _please_ have the other half of the sandwich now, _Dr. Heath_?"

Oh boy. The way she said "Dr. Heath" did things to her. Christen's silky voice sent shivers down Tobin's body. _God._  
She put the bag back on the table, not trusting her voice. The last thing she needed right now, was for Tyler's teacher to think she's got the hots for her. Not now, that she had finally won the stubborn woman over. 

"Thanks," Christen grinned triumphantly. Her green eyes sparkled with delight as she took one half of the remaining sandwich.  
Tobin took the other half, hungrily shoving most of it into her mouth. In retrospect it wasn't the smartest move she has ever done.  
"Mhmm... that's so good," Christen sighed sensually as she took a bite of her half.  
 _Fuck._

Tobin coughed violently, Christen's sigh shooting a surge of arousal straight to her core.   
"Everything okay?" the teacher asked, brows furrowed worriedly.   
"Y-yeah I-" she coughed again, hastily taking a large gulp of her coffee. "I'm g-good." Her eyes watered and her throat burned from the hot liquid. Christen eyed her suspiciously but let it go. 

"Have you always wanted to be a doctor?" she asked instead, once Tobin was able to breathe normally again.   
"Hmm... yeah. The thought of helping others has always been important to me. What about you?"   
Christen thought for a second before she shook her head.

"I've actually thought of playing professional soccer," the teacher confessed. Tobin gaped at her. "You've played soccer?"  
An eyebrow shot up. "What's that supposed to mean, Tobin?"   
Her voice was teasing but Tobin still got a little nervous.

"Uh- you- well. It's not that I don't believe you're athletic enough. You obviously look very- uh." She gestured with her arms towards Christen's toned body.   
"It's just... that soccer can get pretty rough." Christen's gaze bored into Tobin, who was transfixed by those green eyes. 

"You think I couldn't handle a little roughness?" Tobin couldn't help the way she reacted to the other woman's husky voice. Was she flirting or just messing with her? The grin that appeared on Christen's face made it clear that it was the latter.   
"What position did you play?" Tobin asked curiously.  
The teacher threw her a proud smile. "Forward."  
"Really? Kelley and I play pick up soccer with some friends every other weekend. Wanna join us?"

The question was out of her mouth before Tobin could think it through. If Kara found out, that she might meet up with Christen, the blonde woman would probably lose it.

Christen seemed to have similar thoughts. "I'm not sure that's a good idea, Tobin," she sighed. "I'm Tyler's teacher, hanging out with his mom might not sit well with other parents. Thanks for the invite, though. Would've loved to kick your ass."

Tobin smirked at her. "I thought teachers don't use explicit language."   
"And I hoped not all doctors would have a god complex," Christen shot back playfully.  
"Oh, we do. Ask Kelley."

The teacher snorted and stood up, Tobin automatically raising as well.  
"I'll see you next week?" the teacher asked with a smile.

"What makes you think I'm not picking Ty up tomorrow?"  
"Kelley... might have sent me your schedule," Christen admitted and... was that a blush?  
"Ugh, I'm gonna kill her," Tobin gritted out. She knew exactly what Kelley was doing. 

"Bye, Dr. Heath," Christen said and tried one of her adorable winks again. Tobin's stomach flipped as she waved back, already looking forward to see her again.

Once the teacher was gone, Tobin pulled out her phone.

**Tobin**   
_Stop meddling in my love life!_

**KO**   
_What love life? Didn't know you had one_

**Tobin**   
_You gave her my schedule?!_

**KO**   
_Christen is an amazing woman_

**Tobin**   
_Christen is my son's teacher. She's off limits!_

**KO**   
_So you're finally on first name basis. Nice._

Tobin groaned. She could practically see Kelley's pleased smirk. _Damn it!_ Before she could reply, another text came in.

**KO**   
_And you think she's attractive_

**Tobin**   
_So she's my son's _attractive_ teacher. Doesn't change a thing_

**KO**   
_Sure._

**Tobin**   
_Stop!_

**KO**   
_What??_

**Tobin**   
_Whatever you're planning!_

**KO**   
_No idea what you're talking about_

Tobin put her phone back on the table with a loud thud. She wasn't blind. Of course she found Christen attractive. And yeah, maybe she was a little captivated by her beautiful green eyes and that stunning smile. It didn't matter. Hell, Tobin didn't even know if she was into women.

***

They saw each other earlier than expected.  
Kara called her at work, letting her know that she won't be able to make it. Her boss wasn't pleased at all.   
"I'm glad we have you back but honestly, Tobin, I need to be able to rely on you. I know you're a mother and you have responsibilities but this isn't working. If this keeps happening again..."  
Tobin hung her head and nodded.   
"I understand. I'll try to make sure it won't happen again."   
She drove to Tyler's school, thinking about her options. One glance at her watch told her, that she was already 10 minutes late again. 

Christen and Ty sat on the bench, lost in conversation and Tobin's heart skipped a beat at the way the teacher's eyes crinkled when she smiled.   
"I'm really sorry for being late," Tobin said immediately when she got out of the car. Tyler shrugged as if he didn't care but Tobin noticed the way his shoulders sagged.  
"Dr. Heath, a word please?" Christen asked quietly. Her tone wasn't like the scolding, annoyed one Tobin was already used to. She didn't wait for an answer, just grabbed Tobin's arm and pulled her inside the school building.

"What are you doing here?" the teacher inquired, looking at her with a worried expression.  
"I'm picking Ty up?"  
Christen rolled her eyes. "Yes. I can see that. You're supposed to be at work right now!"

The doctor sighed. "I'm aware, Christen. The chief wasn't happy about me leaving early again, either.  
"Tobin! They could fire you!" Christen said alarmed.  
"They won't. At least not this time. What was I supposed to do when Kara called? Someone has to pick him up."

The look on Christen's face was one of disbelief. "She shouldn't treat you like that. You've got commitments, too. Is that why you were late all the time? Because she called you last minute?"  
Tobin nodded and put her hands into her pockets. The teacher was getting more worked up by the second.

"That bitch!" Christen cursed, running her hand through those beautiful curls. Okay, maybe it was hot to hear the teacher swear like that.  
"Why didn't you say something?! I mean, I get why you didn't talk to me," she said and blushed. "But Tyler needs to know that it wasn't your fault."

Tobin shook her head. "He wouldn't have believed me anyway."   
She could see the unspoken question in Christen's eyes but she didn't want to talk about this topic here. 

The teacher paced back and forth. "There has to be a solution for this. What about your family?"  
"My family lives in Jersey."   
"Hmm... I... might have an idea," Christen said and stopped her pacing abruptly.  
"Could he stay with you at the hospital?"  
"Uh- yes, when he was younger, he used to be around all the time. The nurses love him and I've still got the Nintendo switch in my office," Tobin said with a small smile.

"Okay. How about this? If something like today happens, you'll call me and I'll bring Ty to the hospital? It's not ideal but...at least something?"

It was the second time within three days that the teacher had Tobin speechless. "You'd do that?"  
Christen nodded and gave Tobin a smile that warmed her from the inside. She couldn't help stepping forward, pulling the teacher into a short but firm hug. It felt so natural, like they'd been doing this for years. They both melted into the hug. 

"Thank you! It means a lot," she whispered.   
"You're welcome, Tobin." 

***

"Sooo... I was thinking we could go and eat something together before I bring you home?" Tobin asked, holding her breath.

"Yeah, okay," Ty nodded, looking out of the window.   
Well, at least it wasn't a no...  
They stayed silent for a few minutes. But then at a red light:  
"Hey Tobin? What's going on between you and Ms. Press?"  
 _Uh-oh._

"Where is that coming from, Ty?" Tobin deflected nervously, hoping the light would finally turn green. She could feel his stare but refused to look at him. There obviously wasn't anything between them but Tobin wasn't sure how believable she'd sound. 

"I saw you guys hugging. The entrance hall is made of glass, you know?" he said with raised eyebrows. "The light's green!" 

"Ohh, right. Uh well, we're kind of friends? Is that...okay with you?"

"Sure. Ms. Press is great! She's my favorite teacher," he said and smiled for the first time since Tobin had picked him up. 

"Good. Because Ms. Press offered to bring you to the hospital, instead of me picking you up," Tobin explained, figuring she might just as well get this over with.

Tyler looked at her in surprise. "Why aren't you picking me up anymore?" He sounded small, like he was scared that her answer could hurt him and Tobin hated it.

"Because sometimes your mommy can't make it on a short notice and asks me to jump in but you know I can't just leave from my shift. Ms. Press offered, so you could hang out with Kelley and the nurses until I'm done. They've missed you." 

The boy nodded slowly. "Okay, that makes sense. I know you have responsibities... Missed them, too!"

"Responsibilities," Tobin corrected softly. But she wasn't done. "Ty, I know that I messed up and I'm sorry that I wasn't able to be here for you these last past months but I love you so much and I promise it won't ever happen again." 

Tyler played with the hem of his shirt, worrying his bottom lip. It took him so long to reply that Tobin feared, he'd gone back to ignoring her again.  
"Tobin... can I... have a hug once we're parked?" he asked, shyly ducking his head. 

"Of course, sweetie... you don't ever have to ask!"   
And if Tobin happened to blink her tears away, so what?!

***

Tobin had to take Christen up on her offer the following week. Kara had called and explained how she had (conveniently) forgotten an interview on the outskirts of town just 15 minutes before Ty needed to be picked up. Tobin rolled her eyes and called Christen, who agreed to bring Tyler over to the hospital. 

35 minutes later an excited Tyler bounced into the hospital, Christen by his side. Tobin was already waiting for them.   
"Hey," she said and waved them over. Ty gave her a quick hug before he spotted Rose, one of his favorite nurses.   
"Rose!" he said and ran towards the young woman, who greeted him just as enthusiastically. 

"Thank you so much for doing this!" Tobin said gratefully.

"You're welcome. He seems to feel at home here," the teacher noted, watching how familiar most of the staff was with him. 

Tobin looked at him with a fond smile as he sat down between Rose and Sam, already in a conversation about their dogs. 

"Yeah, everyone has always tried to make time for him, even when we're really busy here. It helps that he's always had an interest in medicine," Tobin explained and leaned against the wall. 

"Dr. Heath? Room 2 for you," one of the nurses interrupted their conversation.   
"On my way, thanks Morgan."

She turned to the teacher. "Duty calls. Thanks so much, Christen. I'm gonna make this up to you!"

"Oh you don't have to-"  
"I want to! Please, just let me buy you dinner some time," Tobin insisted and rushed down the hallway to follow Morgan. 

The last three hours of her shift had been more stressful than she'd been hoping for. There wasn't much time to spent with Tyler but the others kept him on his toes. One of the residents, Emily Sonnett, was already becoming his new favorite person at the hospital. She even spent half an hour longer at the hospital to buy a packet of peanuts and teach him how to catch them with his mouth. 

Tobin loved seeing these carefree glimpses of her son. She knew it would take a while for Ty to trust her again but she vowed to do everything in her power to never fail him again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello beautiful people,
> 
> I'm probably not able to find the right words and I apologize for that in advance. I'm deeply saddened about what has happened and has been happening for way too long.  
> BLACK LIVES MATTER!   
> Sending you all lots of love from the other side of the world! 
> 
> If you feel like you need someone to talk to, you can always reach out to me on tumblr. I'm here for you. 
> 
> Lastly, I want to thank you all so much for your comments and support. It means a lot to me. I hope this kinda fluffy chapter brings at least a small smile to your faces
> 
> Stay safe everyone!

Ever since Kelley had sent her Tobin's schedule, Christen wondered how the woman was still able to stand at all. Tobin's working hours were _crazy_.

Now that the doctor had opened up about her ex wife and how picking Tyler up had interfered with her work, it was obvious that she was trying to make it up to the chief by taking additional shifts. 

The bags under her eyes became more and more prominent with every day they saw each other. Tobin picked Tyler up on Tuesday and Wednesday but she didn't complain once. Christen wanted to tell her to catch up on some sleep, instead of meeting up with the drama group but she knew that it was important for Tobin's relationship with Tyler. 

The doctor managed the two hours with the group on Thursday exceptionally well. Tobin was kind and never lost her patience with the kids. She listened to them and goofed around, making them laugh.   
Kelley had been right, Tobin Heath was so much more than her awful first impression. 

Christen had just finished up her classes on Friday when her phone rang.   
"Hi Christen, I'm so sorry to call on such a short notice but there has been a major car accident on the highway. I can't get away right now. Could you bring Tyler to the hospital?" Tobin cut straight to the point and Christen could hear several voices in the background shouting. 

"Of course, don't worry about it. Go and save some lives," Christen reassured her quickly and ended the call.

She walked out of the classroom and sat down next to Tyler on their bench. "Seems like you're stuck with me for a little longer," Christen informed him with a smile. "Tobin can't pick you up, there has been an accident and she got held up."

Tyler nodded with a serious expression. "I understand... so you're going to bring me to the hospital again?"

"Yes. Are you okay with that?"  
"Of course. Thank you for being so nice to us, Ms. Press," he said sheepishly, melting Christen's heart just a bit more. 

"You're welcome, Tyler."   
Once all her kids have been picked up by their parents, Christen drove to the hospital. Tobin was nowhere to be seen but the nurses seemed to remember her.  
The emergency department was hectic. Nurses and doctors were all over the place. Tyler stayed close to Christen's side, careful not to get into the way of the busy workers.

"Tyler!" A young blonde woman walked towards them.   
"Sonny, hi," the boy answered happily, doing a complicated looking handshake.   
"Hi, I'm Emily Sonnett," the woman greeted and shook Christen's hand. "You're Tobin's ...friend, right?"  
The teacher furrowed her brows at the pause but nodded and introduced herself. 

"Tobin is still in the examination room... it might take a while. Not looking good in there," Sonnett said with a dark look.   
"I'll just wait in her office," Tyler said. "And play video games."

Someone called the blonde's name and she gave them an apologetic look. "Sorry, I need to go. It was nice to meet you, Christen."

Although the boy didn't seem to mind spending some time alone in his mother's office, Christen decided to accompany him.   
"Have you ever played Mario Kart before?" he asked as he set up the console. 

The teacher shook her head, earning a horrified look. "Oh my god... don't you worry, Ms. Press! I'm gonna teach you."

About an hour later, when they were right in the middle of a race and Christen was losing spectacularly, Tobin entered the office.  
The doctor took in the scene before a smirk appeared on her face. "Hi guys. Need some help?" she offered and sat down next to Christen.   
Without taking his eyes off the screen Tyler squeaked: "Noo! Don't help her, that's unfair." 

Tobin chuckled lowly. She gave Christen a pitiful look and shrugged. "I tried." 

Once Christen finally made it to the finish line, they set the joy cons aside. Now finally able to concentrate on his mother, the boy got up and gave Tobin a quick hug.   
"Everything okay, Ty?" the doctor asked softly.   
"Yes! I won every game," he told her excitedly. Tobin ruffled his hair with a proud smile. 

"Are you... okay, too? Did you make the patients feel better?" he asked hesitantly.   
Tobin hugged him again, this time holding onto him a little bit longer.   
"Yes, I did." The boy seemed satisfied but Christen didn't miss how Tobin avoided the first part of his question.

The door flung open, startling all three of them. "Hey guys, we want to order pizza and- oh- hi Chris," Kelley said surprised, staring at the teacher, who still sat on Tobin's couch. A shit eating grin appeared on Kelley's face. _Uh-oh._  
Christen and Tobin both exchanged a quick, worried look.   
"Hey Ty, why don't you come with me and order the pizza," Kelley suggested and the boy jumped up, following her outside.

The door clicked shut, leaving them alone in the quiet room. It wasn't an awkward silence but a charged one. Tobin got up and leaned back against the large wooden desk. She cleared her throat.   
"I can't thank you enough for today... thank you for staying with him."

"Oh, it was fun. My pride might be a bit bruised from losing 8 times in a row, though," Christen answered with a wink. 

The doctor smiled at her, running her hand through her hair.   
"So... how are you really? Christen asked softly, taking in how tense Tobin's shoulders were. 

"I'm-" Tobin cut herself off, shaking her head. "Exhausted. It was a rough day... the crash had 15 cars involved and we had to treat several serious injuries. I just- sometimes it gets a bit too much."

Before she realized what she was doing, the teacher was on her feet, pulling Tobin into a tight embrace, pretending, she didn't hear the quiet, content sigh.   
Pretending, she didn't enjoy the doctor's strong and warm body pressed against hers. 

"Please get some rest," Christen whispered softly before she let go of her reluctantly.  
Tobin nodded, pushing her glasses back up. "Would you like to stay for some pizza?"

Christen shook her head and sighed. "I need to get back home. My neighbor has looked after the dogs all day."   
She didn't want to go. She _wanted_ to stay here and spend more time with Tobin, Kelley and Tyler... but it wasn't a good idea.  
"I see... well in that case I'm not gonna keep you any longer," Tobin said and sounded almost disappointed. "Have a nice weekend, Christen."

***

At home her thoughts wandered back to Tobin. She hoped the doctor was able to finally get home rather sooner than later. The teacher sat at the kitchen table, staring at her phone. Her fingers itched to text Tobin. She tried to busy herself with dinner preparations but found herself staring at the phone again.  
Eventually she unlocked it with a sigh and typed.

**Christen**   
_Hope you guys were able to leave the hospital and are at home now._

**Kelley**   
_We are still here. Some more awake than others._

Her phone buzzed again. Kelley had sent her a picture.   
Tobin Heath laid all sprawled out on the couch, obviously sleeping soundly. She looked so peaceful and soft...

Christen looked at the picture for a few moments and saved it to her camera roll. 

***

The teacher smiled at her students and clapped her hands together. "Before we go through this next scene, I'd like to talk about love. What comes into your mind when you think of love?" 

Three students raised their hands. Christen pointed at a brunette boy in the back. "Yes, Milo?"

"'I love my dog!" he said excitedly and Christen grinned. She had to restrain herself not to ask him what kind of dog he owned. 

"Wonderful. The love for our pets can be very strong. What else?"

"My older sister has a boyfriend and she says she's in love with him," Cassie supplied snickering. "We caught them kissing and my dad dislikes him now."   
Christen had to bite back a laugh at her student's comment. 

"As you guys can see there are different kinds of love," she explained. "Let's talk a little about romantic love."

The teacher offered explanations and answered a few questions before they started to read the script. Lauren raised her hand.   
"But if the knight and the princess are so in love, why don't they kiss?"   
"Sometimes it takes people a while to realize their feelings for each other," Christen said. "Even if two people really like each other, they don't have to rush into it." 

Just in that moment Tobin came into the auditorium. She smiled and waved at the group, carrying her art supplies in a bag.

"Hi everyone!"   
Her students all offered enthusiastic greetings back. They had taken a liking in the doctor, something Christen couldn't blame them for.   
Tyler stood and gave his mother a quick hug.   
"Tobin, you know everything about being in love, don't you?" he asked with an innocent smile  
"Uh... I wouldn't say everything- I do know... a little about it," the woman answered caught off guard. 

"Great! Why don't you and Ms. Press show us how to act out this scene, then?" 

There was a twinkle in his eyes that Christen had only seen in Kelley's before. Maybe she should give Tobin a warning about letting him spend too much time with the freckled doctor.   
"Which scene?" Tobin asked and took the script out of his hands. Her eyes widened comically as she scanned the page. Her cheeks flushed. _God, it was cute._  
"Oh. Ty, I-I don't think we-uh."  
How the usually collected and calm doctor turned into a stuttering mess was beyond her but the teacher decided that she'd push her a little more.

"Come up here on the stage, Dr. Heath. Let's give them a few pointers," Christen said with a sly grin.   
"I-uh-" Tobin's gaze flickered back and forth between her son and Christen, both looking at her expectantly.   
"Fine," she sighed finally and climbed up on stage.   
"I'll have you know that I'm a terrible actress," Tobin mumbled and cleared her throat. "Uh, are you going to be the princess or-?"

The teacher raised an eyebrow. "Oh, did you want to be the princess, Dr. Heath?"  
Tobin shook her head violently. "No! No. I'm good. I'm not really the princess type," the doctor said hastily.   
Christen smirked but nodded. If they weren't surrounded by her students, she would've teased her some more. 

"Okay, let's get into positions," the teacher suggested and sat down on a bench, following the directions of the script. Tobin stood awkwardly on the stage, script held tightly in her hand.   
"You need your helmet." Christen pointed at the helmet Tobin and Tyler had designed the week prior.  
"Oh. Right. Sorry." Tobin grabbed the helmet and put it on, opening the visor. Seeing her all flustered made Christen's stomach flutter.   
The 'knight' cleared her throat again. "Uh-I'm just gonna start."

Christen nodded for her to go ahead. Squaring her shoulders, as if she was going to get into a boxing ring, Tobin finally started to act. She crossed the distance towards Christen and took her helmet off swiftly. For someone, who claimed to be a bad actress, Christen thought the move looked very much on point. 

"You found me," Christen sighed dramatically, looking into those beautiful brown orbs. "You came back to me."  
Tobin nodded, taking Christen's free hand into her own.   
Her hand was softer than Christen had anticipated.   
"You have been the only thing on my mind ever since I had to leave."  
Something in the air between them shifted. Maybe it was Tobin's warm hand, that fit perfectly into Christen's, or the captivating gaze. She swallowed hard, getting lost in her deep brown eyes.

"Thank you for saving us from the dragon, Sir Tobin," Christen almost whispered. The name in the script obviously wasn't Tobin's but somehow she couldn't help including the woman's name into this play. Tobin nodded again, reaching out to brush one of Christen's curls out of her face.   
_That's not in the script..._   
The hand accidentally grazed Christen's cheek and the teacher suddenly felt a little too warm. 

"I'd do anything for you," Tobin admitted slowly and was so incredibly convincing that it took Christen's breath away. She needed to stop this. Now.   
_Bad actress my ass._

"Okay, I think that's enough for now. Thank you, Dr. Heath," she said and got up, putting some distance between herself and the doctor. She divided the students into groups to practice a few scenes. They still hadn't decided on Tyler's role, so she put him in Amy's group and told him to watch and give them feedback. 

Tobin stood next to her, a cheeky grin on her face that Christen wanted to wipe off, still feeling flustered from their acting performance.   
"Please, tell me you didn't choose this play? The dialogues are awful," the doctor said quietly.   
Keeping her eyes trained on her students, Christen couldn't help grinning as well.  
"It's a tradition at this school to perform this play every year."

"Which means you hate it, too," Tobin stated matter of factly.

Christen couldn't deny it. She really hated this play and had tried to talk to the principal multiple times already. 

"Are you allowed to make changes to the script?" Tobin asked curiously.

The teacher nodded slowly.   
"At least within reason."  
"Great! We should definitely do that!" Tobin replied enthusiastically, rubbing her hands.

"We?" Christen repeated and finally turned to face the doctor.   
"Oh...uh I just- just thought since I'm a member of this drama group now... that it would be fun, if we rewrote it a bit. Sorry, I'm-" 

"Tobin, I'd really like that," Christen interrupted kindly, putting the doctor out of her misery. 

Tobin flashed her a blinding smile and pushed her glasses back up her nose.   
"If you need me, I'll be working on the costumes backstage," she said, walking away. Last week they had discovered, that Tobin had amazing sewing skills. ("Well, these hands stitch up human skin on a daily basis, of course I can sew, Christen.")

Christen was really glad that she had invited the doctor three weeks ago. Tobin fit into their little group perfectly and although she wanted to spend time with Tyler, Christen knew that the doctor was making sure to give him the space and freedom to thrive and engage with others. 

Rewriting part of the play sounded like a good plan. It would also give them the opportunity to write a small part for Tyler that he'd be comfortable with and get Kara off their backs. It also meant spending additional time with the doctor....

"Ms Press! Could you come and look at the scene?"

***

Christen was packing up her things when someone cleared their throat.  
The teacher looked up and stared right into the puppy dog eyes of Tyler Heath.   
"Ms. Press, Toby and I are going to go to the ice-cream parlor. Would you like to join us?"  
 _Toby?_ Christen smiled at the sweet nickname.   
"It's very nice of you to invite me but I can't just tag along. You have to ask your mom first," Christen explained, zipping up her bag. 

"It was actually her idea. She said that the chances of you joining us are higher, if I ask you," he said with a hopeful smile.

Christen glanced at the doctor, who was leaning against the wall, looking a little too uninterested in what was going on.

"I'd love to come with you."  
They walked towards the exit and Christen had to bite her lip to stop herself from smiling too brightly.  
"Thanks for the invite, Tobin." 

The doctor sighed and whispered quietly: "He ratted me out, didn't he?"  
"'Mhm, in a heartbeat," Christen laughed.

They took Tobin's car to get ice-cream at Tyler's favorite place. This time the atmosphere in the car was relaxed and light. Tyler and Tobin talked about the supplies they'd need to get for the scenery and the teacher couldn't help being impressed by their complex ideas.   
"That's gonna look so cool!" the boy said happily, when Tobin suggested to create a huge gypsum dragon. 

"What do you think, director?" the doctor asked Christen with a serious expression. "Would you appreciate a huge dragon for the play?" 

Christen giggled. She giggled like she hadn't in few years. "Yes, Tobin. A huge dragon sounds fantastic."  
Tobin and Tyler high-fived, causing the teacher to giggle even more. 

***

"Soo... what are you getting?" Tobin asked her as they were waiting in line. Christen looked at the options, pondering.  
"The strawberry sorbet sounds good."  
Tobin gaped at her. "Please tell me you're not serious? C'mon Chris, they make the best sundaes in the city here."

_Chris._ It was the first time the doctor had called her by her nickname. 

Tyler, who had been listening to their conversation, stared at her with a disbelieving face, too.   
Christen shook her head and laughed. "Fine. If you're such ice-cream experts why don't you order something for me." They exchanged a nod, apparently knowing exactly what to order for her. 

Five minutes later Christen sat down across from the two Heaths, a huge sundae with four different flavors, caramel sauce and whipped cream in front of her. 

"There is no way I'm gonna be able to eat all of that," Christen said wide eyed, staring at this ice-cream mountain.   
Tobin cocked her head. "Don't worry, I'll just eat the rest." Her sundae had the same size and even Tyler's wasn't significantly smaller. Both ate their ice-cream enthusiastically so Christen decided to just go with it.

As the flavor hit her taste buds she understood why they said it was the best ice-cream place.  
"This is really good," she admitted, scooping up more ice-cream. 

"Told you so,"Tobin said smugly.

They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes.  
"Ms. Press? Can I ask you something?" Tyler eventually broke the silence and put his spoon down. 

The teacher nodded. "Sure, go ahead."

"Why do you switch between calling Toby Dr. Heath and Tobin? She said you guys are friends. Shouldn't friends be on first name basis all the time?"

Tobin choked on her ice-cream.  
"Friends huh?" Christen muttered and the doctor blushed, eyes trained on her sundae.

"Well... you see, Tyler, the school is a professional environment for me. It would be unprofessional for me to call Tobin by her first name there," she tried to explain.  
The boy nodded slowly. "But she's still your friend there?" 

Christen chuckled. "Yes. She's still my friend."   
She threw Tobin a sly grin. "And I don't think she minds me calling her Dr. Heath."

Tobin's blush intensified even more. _Busted._   
"No, I-I don't mind," Tobin agreed and Tyler seemed to be satisfied with the answer, his attention back on his sundae.

"Were you serious about the rewrite of the play?" Christen asked Tobin quietly, silently hoping that the doctor would say yes.

Tobin nodded. "Yeah, I mean... if that's something you'd want to do with me?"  
"Okay. Let's do it then."  
"Great! What are you doing on Sunday?" Tobin asked and seemed almost eager to see her again.   
"Haven't made any plans... but you have," she answered with raised eyebrows.  
"Huh?"  
"You work on Sunday," Christen laughed, recalling Tobin's schedule.

Tobin groaned. "I'm so going to kill Kelley! Uh... how about Monday evening? Or am I working there, too?"

Grinning, Christen shook her head. "Good. What do you say? Wanna come over to my place and we'll try to fix this awful play?" 

"I'd love to."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys,  
> sorry for taking this long to update, work is crazy at the moment.   
> For those of you who also read united, please don't worry. I will not abandon the story. Just didn't feel like writing angst in the last few days. 
> 
> Thank you all so much for the amazing feedback you've given me so far :)  
> Hope you enjoy the chapter and have a great weekend!  
> Stay safe!

Tobin was nervous. They had decided to do the rewrite at her place and she had spent the day cleaning up her apartment to make it look more presentable.

Christen should be here within the next 15 minutes and the doctor found herself in a state of restlessness and anticipation she hadn't felt in a long time.

Rolling her eyes but unable to stop, she rearranged the cushions on the couch for the third time and finally forced herself to sit down.  
 _She's just Ty's teacher. A potential friend. This isn't a date for god's sake!_

A soft knock on the door startled Tobin out of her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, the doctor squared her shoulders and opened the door.  
"Hi, Tobin," Christen greeted her with a bright smile.   
"Hi, please come in," Tobin replied, her mouth suddenly dry, and took a step to the side to let her in.   
Christen was dressed comfortably. _Because this is not a date, remember?!_  
She wore an oversized red Stanford hoodie and yoga pants. _Tight_ yoga pants.

"Wow, you have a beautiful view," Christen admired, taking in how the sunset painted the river in a golden light.

"Thanks. Can I offer you something to drink?"  
The teacher sat down on the couch, pulling out the script and a laptop.  
"Do you have any tea?" she asked hopeful. "I could use something to warm me up today. I'm freezing."

"Sure." Tobin went into the kitchen, starting the water boiler. She opened her drawer and pulled out all the different sorts of tea she owned for Christen to choose from. 

"Where are you from?" Tobin asked as she walked back into the room, holding out the box for Christen. "Originally, I mean," she clarified, when Christen furrowed her brows in confusion.

"What makes you think I didn't grow up here?"  
Tobin grinned at her. "You mean beside your accent and the fact that it's definitely _not_ cold outside?"

Christen rolled her eyes.   
"I grew up in California. And it _is_ cold." A cute pout on her lips, Christen picked the camomile tea. Shaking her head slightly, Tobin got the mug with the hot water from the kitchen, but not before she turned up the heating.

"Thank you," Christen said sincerely and held onto the hot mug to warm her hands. The doctor sat down next to her, making sure not to touch her body.  
"Sooo... wanna start with the script?" The truth was, that Tobin wanted to learn more about this amazing woman but she nodded anyway.   
"I think we should rewrite the entire dialogues. Can we do that?" Tobin asked and thought of the cliched and cheesy lines.

Christen smiled at her, her eyes twinkling, and wow... they weren't _just_ green. Tobin had a hard time to determine the exact color of the teacher's beautiful eyes, wondering if she would be able to mix the color with paint. Wondering- Christen looked at her expectantly.   
_Shit! She must've said something. Focus!_  
"Uh... sorry, what did you say?"  
The teacher smirked at her and Tobin felt a blush creeping up her neck.   
"I said that the principal probably won't allow major changes to the dialogues."  
"Damn, okay. Let's see." Tobin couldn't help leaning closer towards the teacher to go through the script together. 

They did some brain storming, Christen giggling a few times when Tobin came up with weird ideas. Gosh, the doctor loved the sound of her carefree laugh and wanted to hear it again and again, coming up with crazier ideas by the second.

"Okay, this one is really good, I swear," Tobin said with a straight face. "What if we make the dragon the princess's younger brother, who got turned into a dragon? He could be a childhood friend of the protagonist. That way our knight doesn't just safe the damsel in distress, he safes both?" 

Christen stared at her for a few seconds, mouth slightly agape.  
"Tobin! That's brilliant!" she exclaimed suddenly and flung herself into the doctor's arms, hugging her with enthusiasm. Tobin's arms tightened around the other woman, keeping her close. Hugging Christen felt so natural, so relaxing, yet exciting.   
"Do you think you could design the dragon so that one of the kids fits into it?"

Tobin nodded. "Sure, it shouldn't be that much trouble."

"This is amazing! Ty can play the prince. He won't have to be seen for most of the play and the dragon around him might make him feel safer!"  
Now it was Tobin's turn to blink in surprise. She was right! It was perfect and exactly what they needed. What Ty needed. It wouldn't be a huge change to the script but would change the meaning of the story. Christen's smile was so bright, so radiant, so generally happy for Tyler that doctor felt herself drawn to her in a way she hadn't experienced in years. 

They started rewriting the essential parts, Christen typing away on her laptop. About an hour and a half of creative work later, they were finally done. 

"Just one thing left now," Tobin said and stretched herself.   
"What?" Christen asked curiously.  
"That cheesy dialogue at the end."  
The teacher rolled her eyes.  
"I don't think I'm allowed to change that one. The principal is very fond of it."

"Had to try," Tobin shrugged. "But I mean, there has to be another way to convey the emotions without the kids having to sound like lovesick puppies."

Christen raised her brows. "You're not exactly a romantic, are you?"

"I can be super duper romantic," the doctor said and wanted to bite her tongue the moment the words left her mouth. "I- uh just don't think kids from 9-12 years should have to worry about that"

Christen sighed. "I agree with you. I just don't see how we can turn that one around."

Tobin read the dialogue again and grasped Christen's hands in hers, getting into the scene. Christen looked at her like deer in headlights. "T-Tobin what-"

"I'm trying to get a feeling for the scene," Tobin explained hastily, looking deep into Christen's eyes. They held so much depth. It was so easy to get lost in them. There wasn't a kissing scene in the play which was a relief, since the kids were definitely way too young for that but Tobin knew that none of them understood the emotions of a deep attraction, of deep feelings yet. A long and exaggerated cheesy dialogue...  
"What if we're able to convey the emotions of this dialogue but without saying much?" Tobin whispered quietly, still looking at Christen. The air around them felt charged.

"Like... what?"  
"Like instead of having them talk about all those feelings they don't understand, create the atmosphere and shorten the dialogue to something short, cute and on point?"  
Tobin cleared her throat, taking both of Christen's softly and got down on her knees in front of the couch.   
"Lady Christen," she began with a hoarse voice, never breaking the eye contact. "Will you marry me?"  
Christen bit her lip, momentarily distracting the doctor. "Y-yes, of course, Sir Tobin," she breathed, finally breaking the eye contact. She leaned back against the couch.   
"That's your idea?"

Tobin sat down next to her, keeping the appropriate distance between them again.   
"It's on point, kids know that marriage is... or at least should be because of love and we could work with the lights to create the atmosphere?"

The teacher thought about it for a moment and nodded slowly. "It might be worth a try. But I'm gonna talk to the principal first, before we get our hopes up."  
They fell silent, Christen saved the document and closed the laptop. Tobin really didn't want the other woman to leave yet. Her stomach chose exactly that moment to rumble loudly.  
"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Tobin blurted out before she could talk herself out of it.

"I- that's not necessary, Tobin," Christen answered and put her hand on Tobin's thigh to give it a squeeze. The doctor held her breath, her thigh tingling were the teacher had touched her.   
"I still owe you dinner. Let's just order some take out and hang out?" Tobin cringed internally how desperate she sounded but Christen nodded and put her bag back down.

"Thank you, you really don't have to. I enjoy spending time with Tyler. Bringing him to the hospital isn't a big deal-" Christen rambled. Now it was Tobin's turn to reassure her. Putting her hand on Christen's arm, she clarified:  
"Chris, this is not just me paying you back for helping me. I _want_ to spend time with you."  
The teacher's eyes stayed on Tobin's hand that was still resting on her arm. "I want to spend time with you, too."  
Her admission made Tobin's stomach flip. _Don't go down that road, you're just hungry._

They decided to watch some Netflix until their dinner arrived, conversation flowing easily.  
"Do you enjoy medical dramas like  
Grey's Anatomy?" Christen wondered while flipping through the options.  
"Not really," Tobin chuckled. "Don't need to see a hospital in my downtime, too."

"Are they at least on point when it comes to the medical background?" Christen inquired, still looking at the screen. Tobin waited until the teacher looked back at her and smirked.  
"What?"  
"You're a fan, aren't you?"  
The blush on Christen's face intensified. "Maybe..."  
Shaking her head slightly, Tobin took the remote out of Christen's hand and pressed play.   
"It's not exactly how day to day life in a hospital works but they got at least most of the medical stuff right."  
She leaned back against the couch, arms crossed behind her head.

"So no crazy love stories at work?" 

Tobin grimaced. "It's...uh... actually how I met Kara."  
Christen sat up straighter and turned her body away from the tv.   
"You've met her at the hospital?"  
Tobin sighed and and started to tell the story....

_  
"Room 5 for you, Tobin," Syd said, handling her the patient's file. "The boy fell, the arm doesn't look good."  
Tobin thanked her and entered the room quietly.  
The distressed whimpers of a young boy were the first thing she registered. Sitting on the treatment table was a stunning and elegantly dressed blonde woman. Her arms were wrapped around her son, who was currently softly crying into her chest._

_"Good evening Ms. Miller. I'm Dr. Tobin Heath," she introduced herself softly. "What happened?"  
She sat down on her chair and rolled over to them, now being on eye level with the boy.  
"I- he- I swear I wasn't paying attention for only a second!" the blonde exclaimed, her face turning pale. "He was running around in the backyard and fell on his right arm."_

_"These accidents happen. He's a child, it's normal," Tobin soothed quietly, trying to calm the mother down. Ms. Miller smiled at her and Tobin had to admit that it was certainly a beautiful smile. "Let's take a look at the arm." Putting on some gloves, the doctor focused on her little patient.  
"Hey buddy," she said softly. "I need to look at your arm for a second, is that okay?" The boy didn't acknowledge her at all, just burying himself more into his mom's embrace. Tobin's heart ached for him. _

_Ms. Miller nudged him a little. "Tyler! The nice doctor needs to see your arm now. Stop being a baby."_

_"... not a baby," Tyler mumbled and sat up, his face contorting into a pained frown.  
"Of course you're not!" Tobin reassured him quickly. "Hey, it's okay. Hospitals are scary, even for grown ups. Let me help you, Tyler. I can make the pain go away."_

_The boy looked at his mother, who gave him a nod, and slowly stretched out his arm.  
Tobin carefully examines the swollen flesh. It had already begun to bruise. Poor boy. The doctor sighed internally.   
"Okay Tyler, I need to take a closer look at your arm." Addressing his mom she added: "I'd like to do some x-rays."_

_"What's x-ray?" Tyler piped up and Tobin couldn't help but smile.  
"It's something that allows me to see the inside of your arm," she explained and chuckled when the kid's eyes grew wide as saucers.  
"You can look inside my arm?!" He didn't seem scared anymore, his fascination outweighing his fear. _

_"Mhm, I can. Wanna see what it looks like?"  
Tyler nodded eagerly. Tobin got up and opened the door, waving Syd into the room. "This is my friend Syd. She's gonna help with the x-ray, okay buddy?"  
Syd smiled encouragingly at the boy, who returned it shyly. _

_When Ms. Miller and Tobin were alone in the room, the doctor gave her a quick once over. "Are you okay?"_

_"Yes, thank you. Just... stressed," Ms. Miller answered. "Do you think it's broken?"  
Tobin sighed. "I'm afraid so. We just need to determine if he needs surgery or not... I'm sorry. I know what you're going through right now can't be easy but it's going to be okay."_

_Ms. Miller shook her head. "Being a single mother has never been easy... You're really good with him."  
Her tone left no room for assumptions and had Tobin blushing. She still wasn't used to patients flirting with her.  
_

Christen snorted, bringing Tobin back to the present. The doctor cocked her head. "What?"  
"Nothing. I just really... dislike her,"  
Christen said in an innocent tone but her eyes were flaring.

_  
Once Syd was done with the x-rays, Tyler and his mom sat anxiously waiting in the room.  
Tobin took a look at the x-rays, turning the screen to show them to the boy.  
"My arm?" he mumbled wide eyed, looking back and forth between the screen and his arm.  
"Yes." She chuckled at the child's "Wow!"_

_Turning to Ms. Miller, Tobin's smile wavered. "Okay, good news and bad news. The good news is, it doesn't need surgery." She pointed along the fractured bones. "But he needs to wear a cast for about six weeks."  
The doctor bend down to Tyler's height and tried to explain it kid-friendly. She wasn't sure how much the young boy actually understood but he nodded along and it seemed to calm him.   
"A light cast will be enough. Broken bones heal more easily when you're a child," she explained to his mother while preparing everything for the cast.  
"Tyler, which of these colors would you like?" Tobin held out a dark blue, a flashing orange and a purple option.   
The boy pointed at the orange one and Tobin grinned. "Would've been my choice, too."  
_

The doctor smiled softly, remembering how Ty proudly showed off his cast.   
"When they came back for the final checkup Kara asked me out," Tobin finished her story.  
"Damn, I was so sure you were the one who asked her out," Christen confessed quietly.  
Tobin laughed. "Kara was pretty straight forward about it."  
There was an expression on Christen's face that Tobin couldn't read. 

Both of them turned their focus back to the medical drama playing on the screen. Suddenly Christen spoke up again.   
"Would _you_ have asked her out?"  
It was a question Tobin had never asked herself before. Her fingers tapped against her thigh as she thought about it. _Really_ thought about it.

Kara had without a doubt been a fascinating woman who had certainly caught her attention. The more the blonde woman let her guard down, the more Tobin had liked her, had enjoyed the time she got to spend with her and Ty together... but still..

"I... don't think so," she said finally, surprising not only Christen but also herself.  
"There wasn't this instant... spark?" Tobin struggled to find the right words to describe how she felt back then. "I mean, uh- I didn't feel like, a special connection right away? Like I needed to know everything about her, you know?"

Christen nodded faintly. There was an unspoken question in her eyes.  
God... those eyes... she couldn't look away until the doorbell startled them out of their little staring showdown.

***

Sitting back comfortable on the couch with their take out containers, they resumed to watching Netflix again. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see how Christen's glaze drifted curiously to Tobin's food. The doctor bit her lip to suppress a smile, turning her attention back to the teacher. "Would you like to try some of my food?"  
Christen's eyes lit up and she nodded with a grin. "It smells really good."  
Holding out the take out container for her, Tobin laughed. "You're lucky I like you. I don't make a habit of sharing my food."  
 _Fuck._   
"I- I mean, you're not as bad as I thought you'd be," Tobin rushed out, correcting herself.   
Christen chewed with a smirk and took another bite, unfazed by her admission.  
"Likewise, Tobin." She did her cute double wink and stole another fork full out of Tobin's container but the doctor couldn't care less. 

It was getting late and the teacher would have to go home soon, so Tobin took her own chance to pry.  
"So... what about you? Are you currently seeing anyone?"  
 _Subtle. Really subtle._  
The teacher put her fork down, her gaze burning into Tobin who started fidgeting again.

"I'm not. It's... been a while since I've last been on a date."  
Tobin nodded. Still no information if she was into women and she sure as hell wouldn't ask Kelley about it.   
_Stop it, Heath! It's none of your business. She's off limits!_

They finished the food in a comfortable silence, Tobin unable to contain an occasional yawn.  
"Okay, that's my cue to go," Christen smiled as the doctor yawned for the third time in a row. Gathering her things, the teacher went to the door, Tobin right behind her. 

"Thanks for today, Tobin. I really enjoyed our writing session," Christen said and Tobin... Tobin couldn't stop herself from pulling the younger woman into a tight embrace that lasted way too long to be solely friendly.  
 _Friends. Friends. Friends._ Her inner mantra started again as she breathed in the teacher's unique scent.  
"See you on Thursday, Chris," Tobin whispered lowly into her ear. Christen suddenly let go of her, taking a step backwards. Running her hands through these beautiful dark curls, the teacher stared at Tobin.  
"S-see you then," she replied, sounding a little... breathless?  
With another small wave the teacher was gone. Tobin closed the door and groaned, pressing her head against the cold wood.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,
> 
> it's been a while but I hope this slightly longer chapter makes up for the long wait. We're finally making some progress here.
> 
> A huge thanks to everyone who took the time to comment, I appreciate it so so much!  
> Stay safe :)

Instead of taking the elevator, Christen jogged down the stairs. Her body felt hot all over but it had nothing to do with jogging down from the 8th floor. Tobin's breath against her skin had set her alight. God. For a second Christen had to fight the urge to lean in and kiss her. 

Tobin was incredibly sweet and just the right kind of goofy. It also didn't hurt that the doctor was sexy as hell. It was only natural to feel attracted to her and Christen was allowed to look, right?

She wouldn't allow herself to do something stupid and yet... it was becoming a problem.  
Not only did Tobin fit effortlessly into her drama group, she slowly became a large part of Christen's life, too. The teacher didn't even remember how it started but suddenly she and Tobin began texting each other several times every day. Kelley continued to send her Tobin's schedule and suddenly she found herself offering to bring Ty to the hospital more often to spend some time with them and would even occasionally stop by to bring Tobin lunch. 

Today was one of these days. The teacher strode through the now very familiar hospital, greeting the nurses and doctors along the way. 

"Hey, Ms. Press," Emily Sonnett greeted with a knowing smirk on her face as she walked by. "Tobin is still with a patient but she should be out any minute."

True to her word, the door opened and a pale Tobin Heath came out of the room. Her usual light blue scrubs were covered in blood. 

Christen's eyes widened in shock as she took in the doctor who leaned back against the door, taking a steading breath.   
"Hi Tobs," the teacher said slowly, trying not to startle the other woman. Tobin's eyes snapped up. "Chris!" A genuine smile spread over her face, washing away the shadows that had been there a few seconds ago.  
"So good to see you! I'd hug you but... uh." The doctor gestured to the angry red stains on her scrubs.

Christen would rather not imagine how serious a person's injuries had to be for Tobin's clothes to be this soaked in blood. "I've brought lunch but I can just leave it in your office for you if you need to-" 

"No!" Tobin interrupted her quickly. "Let me just change my clothes so we can eat together."  
Once they were in Tobin's office and the door clicked shut, the older woman shrugged off the shirt as if it was poisoned, as if she wanted to get rid of the memories.

The teacher bit her lip hard as Tobin Heath stood in front of her, suddenly wearing nothing more than a simple sports bra. Christen's eyes flickered to her rock hard abs.  
 _Oh dear god!_  
The woman's glorious body was on full display while she searched through a drawer to find some clothes to put on, seemingly not caring about Christen seeing her half naked. 

Swallowing hard, the teacher averted her gaze. Tobin was obviously upset and didn't need her to ogle her body.

Once the doctor was dressed in a comfortable pair of sweats and an old shirt, she sat down on the couch next to Christen.

"I remember this outfit! You wore it a few weeks ago when you picked Tyler up," Christen said as she gave her a once over.   
"They're my favorite clothes," Tobin told her with a small smile. "They make me feel safe."  
The teacher instantly felt bad for judging Tobin back then for her outfit.

"Are you okay?"   
The doctor's face wasn't as pale anymore but she looked exhausted. "Yes, thank you."  
Christen hesitated. "Did they... did they make it? The person you treated?" 

"Still in a critical condition. It's out of our hands now," Tobin explained and reached into the bag to grab her burrito. Christen stared at her with a worried expression.  
"Hey, I promise I'm okay. It's never easy... but all part of the job."  
The teacher nodded, although not fully convinced, and grabbed her burrito out as well.   
"Thank you for lunch and for coming over. How's Ty?" 

Christen smiled at the mention of the boy. He was making so much progress. "He's doing great! He and a few others spent the recess sketching some ideas for the dragon."

A proud grin appeared on Tobin's face. "I can't wait to see what they came up with on Thursday."

"I still can't believe the principal agreed to the script changes." The teacher shook her head disbelievingly as she thought back to the conversation she had a few days ago. She had been well prepared, written down some points that would reinforce their stance on the topic but the principal had just nodded and agreed that it was time to modernize the play. "It was so weird."

A guilty expression flickered over Tobin's face. Christen narrowed her eyes. "What did you do, Tobin?" 

The doctor pushed her glasses back up, clearing her throat. "Oh-uh.. what makes you think I would-" One pointed look from the teacher and Tobin gave in, raising her hands in surrender. "I might have uh... made a small donation for the school's theatre and sports program." 

Christen gaped at her for a moment. "That explains it! Honestly, I have been waiting for the other shoe to drop since he agreed. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to make a big deal out of it," Tobin shrugged, eating the rest of her burrito. 

"You're really something else, Dr. Heath," Christen retorted, shaking her head. 

***

"Okay, that's it for today! Good practice!" Christen praised the group as everyone packed up and left the auditorium.   
"Ms. Press!"

Tyler bounced towards her, phone clutched in his hand as if he'd been texting. Tobin was nowhere to be seen. "Ms. Press, remember what you said when Toby and I drove you home the first time?"

Christen furrowed her brows as she thought back. "Um... sorry, Tyler, I don't remember it right now." She threw him an apologetic smile.  
"Oh." The boy deflated visibly in front of her, looking at his feet again.   
"Hey, why don't you just tell me what I said?" Christen suggested, not wanting to let him down. 

"You said we could go and visit your dogs some time," he mumbled, hands buried in his pockets just like his mother did it regularly. "I thought now that you and Tobin are friends... we could finally see them?" 

"See whom?" Tobin, who had only caught the end of their conversation, asked as she jumped down the stage and landed in front of them with a cocky grin. 

"Ms. Press's dogs!"  
Tobin's lips formed a perfect O as her gaze flickered towards Christen. She seemed to determine if the teacher would be okay with it.  
"Ty, maybe Christen has other things to do today, it's a really short notice and-"

_Oh to hell with it._  
Christen held her hand up to stop Tobin's ramble. "Actually, I'm free this afternoon. I'm sure Morena and Khaleesi would love to get to know you guys." 

Tyler pumped his fist in the air. "Yesss!" He ran towards the exit, vibrating with excitement.   
"You really didn't have to," Tobin began again but Christen shook her head. "I want to. I enjoy spending time with you and Tyler."

The doctor flashed her a blinding smile. "Well, we might get going then, Ty looks like he's gonna explode with excitement."   
Both adults looked at him fondly and went outside. 

***

Christen knocked on her neighbor's door, an eager Tyler standing right behind her, Tobin's hand the only thing that kept him from bouncing up and down.   
"Oh hi!" her neighbor greeted, surprised by the amount of people as she opened the door.  
"Hi, I'm here to pick the girls up. Julie, this is Tyler and-"

"Dr. Heath!" Julie interrupted, shaking Tobin's hand quickly.

"You... know each other?" Christen asked confused, looking back and forth between the women.  
Julie chuckled. "Remember when Zach tried to cook for me? Dr. Heath stitched him up." 

Tobin nodded with a smile. "How is he doing? Has he tried to cook again?" 

Julie laughed wholeheartedly. "I don't think he'll ever cook anything other than frozen pizza again. Gave him quite the scare. But you did a great job with his finger, Dr. Heath. Just a tiny scar left. " 

"Thank you but please, just call me Tobin. I'm not your doctor." 

Julie nodded and took a step aside to let them in. "The dogs are in the yard," she told Ty, whose eyes lit up as he spotted them through the open glass door. 

Christen winked at him and whistled once. Both dogs ran inside and greeted them with wagging tails. "Hi babies," Christen cooed, scratching them behind their ears.   
Ty stood next to his mother, completely in awe. 

"These are my friends, Tyler and Tobin," Christen told the dogs, more for the boy's sake than to inform the dogs. Her girls were well behaved. Morena and Khaleesi greeted them just as enthusiastically, Tyler carefully petting them, Tobin kneeling down as well. 

A soft smile spread over Christen's face as she watched how gentle Tyler was with the dogs.   
She caught Julie's knowing look from the other side of the room. The blonde mouthed "We're gonna talk later."   
_Uh-oh._  
Time to get them away from her neighbor's prying eyes.

Back in her own house, Christen opened the doors to the patio wide, Tyler and the dogs running right outside in the backyard, chasing each other. Tobin grinned at them. "Thanks for allowing him to play with them. He's been pestering Kara to get a dog for a while now."

"Awww I can tell how much he likes them." They watched how the boy threw a ball for them. 

"Will Kara allow him to have a dog?"

Tobin raised her brows. "Does she seem like a dog person to you?"  
Christen bit her lip and shook her head. Kara Heath didn't seem like the person who'd like to take care of anything, really. 

"Would you like something to drink?" Christen offered after a moment of silence. 

"What, some tea to warm me up?" Tobin teased, earning a light shove from the other woman.   
"It _was_ cold!" she insisted and moved to the open kitchen. 

"Riiight. Just a glass of water will be fine, thanks."

Christen nodded. "What about Ty?" 

Tobin glanced at the boy, who was running around in a circle, the dogs right behind him.   
"Do you have any juice?"

Christen opened the fridge again, although she was pretty sure about its contents.   
"Is orange juice okay?"

"Perfect. Thanks, Chris."   
The teacher was glad that her face was hidden by the fridge's door. Hearing her nickname casually falling from Tobin's lips made her stomach flip. 

They sat down comfortably on the patio chairs, watching Ty play with the dogs.   
"Can I ask you something?" 

Tobin nodded, turning her attention back to the teacher.   
"Has... has Kara always been like that?" Christen tried to phrase the question cautiously.

Tobin took another sip of her water, twirling the liquid around in the glass.   
"Well- she- no. Not like this. Kara has always been more on the strict side. She's had this vision of how Tyler should be. When we broke up she kinda... focused on making him the son she wanted him to be. I guess, she sees some parts of me in him and it still hurts her," Tobin explained, struggling to find the right words. 

"How can't she see that she's hurting him?" Christen wondered, shaking her head. It was one thing to get over a relationship but another to let your kid suffer for it. 

Tobin sighed. "Trust me, I've tried talking to her multiple times. She can't see it because she doesn't _want_ to see it."

The boy squealed happily as he was laying on his back, getting sloppy kisses from both dogs.   
"You really have a lot in common," Christen stated and a proud smile flickered across Tobin's face again.

"Yeah. He's so much like me that it scares me sometimes," the doctor chuckled. "Ty is such a wonderful kid. Sometimes it makes me sad that I didn't get to witness his early years but I'm grateful to be part of his life now."

"How old was he when you and Kara got together?"

Tobin opened her wallet and pulled out an old photo of a young Tyler sitting on her lap, apparently right in the middle of building a Lego elephant. God, it was cute.   
"He was four. Kara's ex left her when he found out that she was pregnant. I've been by Ty's side for most of his life now and the only parent besides Kara he knows."

Christen laid her hand softly on top of Tobin's.   
"You are an amazing mom, Tobin."  
Before the doctor could say something in return, Tyler sat down in one of the chairs as well. He was breathing hard but grinning from ear to ear. "Ms. Press, your doggies are the best! They're so cute," he exclaimed as Morena and Khaleesi both came plodding towards them,  
too. The dogs both laid down next to Tyler's feet, as if they wanted to make sure he wouldn't leave without them.

It was rather shocking for the teacher to realize that she didn't want Tyler and Tobin to leave either, but for once in her life she didn't want to question herself and just do what felt right.   
"Would you like to stay for dinner?"

Tyler's head snapped up. "Can we? Toby, can we stay, please?"

Tobin looked from her son's hopeful face to Christen's. "I- uhm... I'm supposed to drop you off at home in an hour, Ty."  
"Oh, okay." The boy nodded in disappointment, bending down to rub Morena's belly. 

"Thanks for the invite though," Tobin said sincerely. "Maybe another time?" 

"Sure," Christen answered and hoped she did a better job at hiding her disappointment than Tyler. 

***

Christen put the glasses in the dishwasher as a knock on her front door announced, what could only be Julie Johnston.  
"It's open!"

Sighing, Christen straightened herself for the interrogation that was about to happen.

Julie walked in with a smirk on her face that confirmed Christen's thoughts.   
"Tyler seems sweet," the blonde said casually, like she was trying to start a nice chit chat.

"Mhmm, he is a sweet boy," Christen agreed, getting back out on the patio to at least soak up the sun while getting interrogated.   
Julie followed her, taking the seat Tobin had sat in only a few minutes ago and Christen wondered, if her friend had just been waiting for the Porsche to round the corner. 

"His mom seems pretty sweet, too," her neighbor continued in an innocent tone.

Christen arched an eyebrow. "Didn't know you're into women now, Jules."

"Oh drop the act, Chris. You like her!" she said with glee. "How did you meet hot doc anyway?"

Christen buried her face in her hands, cheeks heating up. "I don't, I- Tyler is my student." 

"Ahh so you met her at school?"

Christen nodded, not offering more pieces of information.

"Damn, I was hoping for some kind of doctor - patient romance," Julie joked, making Christen laugh. 

"No romance happening here."

"Why not? Wait, she's not married, is she?" Julie asked, crossing her arms.

"No, she's not married anymore."

"Good, cause she looked at you like Morena when you get her favorite snack out," her neighbor smirked.

"She didn't look- wait, really?" Christen was certain, or at least almost certain, she would've recognized it, if Tobin had looked at her like that. 

"Oh Chris," she sighed, palming her face. "Yes, that woman is definitely into you!" 

***

Christen had just prepared the bowls for the dogs as her phone rang. A tiny part of her hoped it would be the doctor but there wasn't a reason why Tobin would decide to call her out of nowhere.  
It was Kelley.

"Hey, Kell," Christen greeted her friend, putting the dog bowls on the ground so the girls could eat their dinner.   
"Pressy! What are you doing this Saturday?"

Christen threw a quick glance at her planner. "Nothing yet. Do you want to do something?"

"Excellent!" There was something in her voice that raised Christen's suspicions. 

"Why? What are you planning, Kelley?" she inquired, using her stern teacher voice. 

"We're going to the zoo!" the freckled doctor announced cheerfully.

"The zoo?" Christen repeated disbelievingly. 

"Yes, Chris, the zoo! I've wanted to go for a while and the weather is supposed to be great. They've got baby penguins!" 

Christen shook her head at her friend's child like enthusiasm.   
"Don't you want to go with your secret girlfriend?"

"Nope, I wanna share this experience with my best friend from college. Remember when we visited Trevor Bloomberg's farm?"

Christen laughed. "Yes Kelley, I remember it vividly. You tried to ride on one of the cows and fell off. I had to drive you to the hospital."

"I'm telling you that cow was malicious!" Kelley said matter of factly and Christen snorted. "I'll pick you up at 10? Does that work for you?"

***

The rest of the week went by in the blink of an eye. On Saturday morning, just as promised, Kelley showed up at 10. They drove in silence which, in retrospective, should've been the first warning sign.

The freckled doctor grinned and pulled Christen eagerly to the entrance, once they arrived in the parking lot. They were barely through the entrance when Kelley pulled out her phone, typing away furiously. 

"So...where do you want to go first?" Christen asked to get Kelley's attention. 

"Huh? Oh, I think the penguins might be a good start?" Sending another message, the doctor finally put her phone into her pocket. 

Christen wouldn't admit it out loud but the penguins were adorable. Watching them waddle around and dive into the water from a small rock distracted her long enough for her friend to pull out the phone again. 

"Pressy, lets go to the snakes now," Kelley said and pulled impatiently on her sleeve. Rolling her eyes good naturedly at her friend, Christen followed Kelley to the reptile house. 

"Aunty Kelley! Ms. Press!"  
A loud yell had them turn around. Suddenly they stood face to face with Tyler and a wide eyed Tobin.   
If the phone in Tyler's hands was anything to go by, this was a planned set up. 

"Hi guys, what a nice surprise!" Kelley said with an innocence that Christen didn't buy for a second. Kelley hugged Tyler, who grinned like a Cheshire Cat. Tobin gave Christen a small, apologetic smile and a wave. 

Kelley flung her arm around Tobin's shoulder, dragging the doctor closer. "Now that we seemed to have the same idea, why don't we all just spend the day together?" she suggested, Tyler agreeing a little too enthusiastically.

Tobin and Christen exchanged a long look. _Tyler and Kelley are with us. This is just a few friends hanging out._  
"Sure, the more the merrier," Christen nodded finally and Tobin shrugged. 

The teacher had to admit that going to the zoo with a child was just more magical. Tyler gaped at the giraffe and when it got closer to the fence he grabbed Tobin's shirt for safety as the huge animal bent its head down towards them curiously. Christen was very aware of Tobin's presence. No matter how much she tried to focus on the animals, it shifted back to the doctor. It was infuriating.

When they reached the petting zoo, after a quick stop at the meerkats, it was hard to tell who was more exited, Kelley or Tyler.

"Look! They've got alpacas!" the freckled woman exclaimed delightedly. "Ty, let's see if you can ride on one!"   
Before they could take off, Tobin stepped in the way, arms crossed in front of her with a stern look on her face.   
"No, Kelley. I will not allow my son to ride on an alpaca! Just buy some food and act like a normal person for once."   
Kelley sighed. "But-" 

"Nope, not happening," Tobin cut her off, her tone bossier than Christen has ever heard. 

"Ugh, fine. Come on, Ty."   
Without asking them to join, Tyler and Kelley left to buy some treats to feed the goats and alpacas. 

"Should we follow them?" Christen wondered, hoping Kelley would respect Tobin's decision.   
The doctor sat down on the nearest bench and sighed. "Nah, I trust Kelley. She's a bit wild but she wouldn't put Ty into a potentially dangerous situation."

Taking a seat next to her, Christen raised her brows. "At least if she's aware that it might be a dangerous situation."

The doctor's laugh sent shivers down her spine. Swallowing hard, Christen ignored it. _Friends._

"Kara finally allows you to spend more time with him?" Christen asked and Tobin snorted.   
"He requested it. I guess, I shouldn't have hoped..." she trailed off, shaking her head as one of the smaller goats licked Ty's hand.

Then it hit Christen. As much fun as this was, it also was the first time Tobin could've spend bonding time alone with her son again.  
"Oh my god, Tobin I'm so sorry! You should spend some quality time alone with Tyler. When they're done here I'll grab Kelley and we let you guys be," Christen apologized sincerely. 

Tobin's hand found hers and gave it a squeeze. "Thank you, Chris," she said quietly, a small smile on her lips. "It- it means the world to me that he's giving me a chance to be better."  
She didn't let go of Christen's hand immediately, not that the teacher wanted her to.  
"Tobin," Christen began, biting her lip. "What happened that-"

"Toby look!!"   
A beaming Tyler ran towards them, two tiny goats hot on his heels.  
"They can do tricks, just like Ms. Press's dogs!"  
The boy had one of the goats turn around itself. "See! Isn't that awesome?!"

"Totally awesome," Tobin grinned as Kelley walked back to them, too. The freckled doctor's eyes were fixed on their hands. Reflexively Tobin pulled her hand away, clearing her throat. Christen felt neat rising to her cheeks as Kelley wiggled her brows suggestively. _I'm gonna kill her._

They walked over to the otters together before Christen decided it was time for them to let mother and son enjoy the rest of the day alone. It took an extremely well done performance of fake headaches for Kelley to let go of her plan and guide Christen out of the zoo. 

When they said goodbye, Tyler had hugged her and whispered "Thank you for spending the day with us. Feel better soon, Ms. Press." Inevitably melting her heart into a puddle. 

Back in the car, Kelley stared at her friend worriedly. It seemed like her performance was even more convincing than she had thought.  
"How's your head?" the defender asked as she started the car.  
Christen glared grimly at her. "Shouldn't I ask _you_ this question? You set us up! How can you drag Tyler into this?!" Her voice's volume increasing with every word. 

"I didn't- we just wanted to have a good time! And honestly Chris, you didn't exactly look sad holding hands with her," Kelley argued back.

"We didn't hold hands! Tobin was just- ugh forget it." Christen shook her head. "Kelley, I know that this weird brain of yours thought it was a good idea, but to choose the first chance Tobin gets to spend some time alone with Ty since god knows when?"

Kelley's eyes widened in horror and Christen knew that she finally got through to her.   
"Damn it! Now I have to apologize to her." 

***

They didn't see each other until the next drama group practice, Kara Heath picking up Tyler everyday.   
Although they've been texting throughout the week, Christen was looking forward to see Tobin again. 

Running late after a conversation with one of the parents, Christen got into the auditorium. The kids were already sitting in a circle on the stage, chatting animatedly with the doctor.   
"Hi everyone," she greeted once she was close to the stage. "I'm sorry for being late. Let's get started!" She clapped in her hands and made everyone stand up.

They played one of their warm up games before splitting up into their usual groups. The teacher had to restrain herself to check on Tobin, who had fully taken over the costume design.

Half an hour later she finally allowed herself to seek out the doctor.   
"Wow! This looks amazing, Tobin," she praised as she took in the princess's costume the other woman was currently working on. 

"Thanks Chris!" she said, her trademark smile fully on display as she looked up.   
"Kelley apologized to me for what happened on Saturday," the doctor started casually. "You don't happen to know what caused that?"

Christen shook her head. "No idea."  
They grinned at each other.

A loud commotion tore their focus away from one another and towards the hallway. The door swung open with a bang and revealed a furious Kara Heath. Heels clicking dangerously loud on the floor, she strode towards the stage. Clearly she was a woman on the warpath. 

Tobin's face had lost all color as they all stared silently at the blonde coming closer. 

"I knew it!" she growled, pointing accusingly at Tobin.  
 _Fuck!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seems like there is some major trouble ahead. I'm sorry for ending it here :D  
> Please let me know what you think


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello beautiful people,
> 
> thank you all so much for your amazing feedback! It really encouraged me to write faster, even though I'm right in the middle of moving to another town. 
> 
> Hope you like this chapter! Stay safe everyone :)

One look into Kara's cold and angry eyes told Christen all she needed to know.  
"Okay guys, let's end practice for today!" the teacher announced quickly, deciding to get as many students out of the way before hell would break lose.

Kara Heath's death glare turned towards her, Christen instinctively taking a step back.   
"Why, Ms. Press? Not wanting your students to hear that you've been screwing my w- one of the parents?!" she yelled loudly, the accusation hanging in the air. Before Christen could even think of a reply, Kara continued. "And you!" 

She turned to Tobin, who flinched but didn't back away. "I told you to keep it in your pants! For our son's sake!" She gestured into Tyler's direction without even looking at him for a second. "You're not only meeting up in secret with the hot teacher... no, you also have the audacity to come here every week to spend time with her right under our son's nose?!" Kara's voice echoed through the silent auditorium. 

Luckily, most students had taken their chance to leave but a few were still there to witness the scene. Christen swallowed hard, thinking about what they might tell their parents today and if she still had a job tomorrow.

Tobin shook her head violently. "I do not come here for Chris! I'm here to spend time with Tyler because you're not giving me the chance to do so!" 

Both, Kara and Christen gasped as the nickname left the doctor's mouth. This was a disaster. Christen's gaze flickered to Tyler, who stood close to the curtain, hands holding onto the fabric like a lifeline. 

"Oh please, Tobin. You have always loved the way other women looked at you," Kara taunted accusingly. 

Tobin took a steadying breath, trying to stay calm. "Kara, this is something between us. Let's talk about this privately." She looked at her with pleading eyes but the blonde's were steely. Nothing but rage flared in them.

Kara let out a hollow laugh. "In private? What, afraid your little adventure with Ty's teacher might have some negative consequences?"

She walked back and forth in front of the stage, eyes not leaving Tobin's pale face once. Tyler looked ready to cry any second but his mother continued her onslaught. 

"I can't believe you'd do this after everything that happened between us! You come here every Thursday. Do you enjoy the possibility of getting caught fuck-"

"ENOUGH!"   
Christen didn't even recognize her own voice. She had heard enough, had let this go on for way too long. 

Kara Heath stared at her, as if she had three heads, apparently caught off guard by the teacher speaking up. "You-"

"Stop!" Christen firmly cut her off again. "Can't you see what you're doing? You're hurting your son, Ms. Heath. I might not be able to protect Tyler from this insanity at home but I can protect him here. I must advise you to leave immediately or I'm going to call security."

Kara looked from Christen to Tobin, who had an equally stunned expression on her face.   
Using Kara's surprised stupor, Christen spoke up again. "You can still pick Tyler up after school but besides that, I do not want to see you here again."  
Christen stood in front of her with crossed arms, not budging an inch. 

The blonde gaped at her. "You can't do that, I'm his mother."

It took all her willpower to suppress a snort. Nodding instead, the teacher said evenly: "Maybe you should start acting like a loving mother. Until then, you're banned from the school grounds." 

Sensing that Christen wasn't going to give in, the blonde huffed. She turned her focus back to Tobin.  
"This is going to have consequences. _I'm filing for sole custody._ My lawyers will be in touch." Without another word she whirled around and stomped out of the auditorium.   
_Oh god._  
The doctor looked as if she'd been slapped. 

A quiet sniffle brought their attention back to Tyler.   
"I-I'm sorry Toby," his bottom lip wobbled as he tried to hold his tears back. "I didn't mean to m-make mommy mad at you. I was just telling her a-about the dogs."  
Tobin was by his side in an instant, scooping him up. She held him close, worry evident on her face as she soothingly ran her hand through her son's hair.   
"It's okay, Ty. You shouldn't have to lie to her. It'll be okay."

Feeling helpless, Christen took a few hesitant steps closer to them. Tyler was crying into Tobin's neck but it was his whisper that brought tears to the doctor's eyes. "Please, don't leave me again."

"Never, sweetheart. I promise," Tobin replied hoarsely, tightening her grip around him.   
Christen worried her bottom lip.  
If Kara Heath really filed for sole custody she wasn't sure that Tobin could actually keep her promise.

Sighing, Christen decided to give mother and son a few minutes alone and started to store away the properties the kids had used when Kara crashed their practice. Her thoughts spiraled out of control, reliving the situation again and again. Had she been the reason for Kara to finally snap? 

She wrestled with a large frame, trying to store it in one of the lockers.  
"Need some help?"  
Christen jumped and turned around, looking straight into those concerned big brown eyes.   
"Tobin! You scared me! Where is Ty?"  
The small smile on the doctor's face disappeared. "He wanted to go to the restroom."

There was so much pain in her eyes, Christen couldn't take it anymore and hugged her tightly. The doctor inhaled sharply but didn't pull away.   
"I'm so sorry, Tobin. I shouldn't have said-"

"No, Chris. What happened is not your fault. I'm so grateful for you standing up for Ty and me. It means a lot." Tobin pulled back to get a better look at the teacher. "It would've happened at some point anyway... she has warned me weeks ago."

"Is there anything I can do?" 

The brunette sighed. "I don't know. I need to make some calls and- and try to talk to her again when she had time to cool off. I can't lose Ty." Her voice broke at the end of the sentence and something wet trickled down on Christen's shirt.  
 _Oh Tobin._

Soft footsteps announced Tyler's return. The doctor wiped her eyes hastily and turned back around to her son.  
"Ready to go?"

The boy nodded slowly.   
"See you tomorrow, Ms. Press."

"Bye you two. Take care," Christen replied softly, watching them leave. Her heart ached for them. It wasn't fair to either of them. The teacher finished putting the properties away and walked out of the auditorium. 

She didn't feel like going home yet. Lost in thought she didn't even know how she got there but a few minutes later Christen stood in the middle of the soccer pitch. The grass beneath her feet feeling familiar and soothing. Looking around, she hoped to find a ball but unfortunately it seemed like Pinoe had already put them all away. 

Sitting down in the cool grass she decided to take a few minutes to refocus and do some meditation. Just as she was about to start, she heard footsteps walking towards her.

"Pressy?" The blonde coach stepped into Christen's view. "You look upset, everything okay?"

"Yeah I'm-" shaking her head Christen let out a sigh. "No, I'm not okay."  
Pinoe sat down next to her, draping an arm around her shoulders.   
"Wanna tell me what happened with Tobin?"  
"How-"  
"Oh please, give me some more credit here, Chris. It's obvious," Pinoe stated, rolling her eyes. 

"Her ex wife crashed the drama group today," Christen started, picking the grass. "She- she was so full of rage and well, she accused us of sleeping with each other. In front of the group."

Pinoe's eyes widened. "She said that in front of everyone?"

The teacher nodded, burying her face in her hands.   
"Damn! What a bitch," the blonde cursed. "But it's not true, is it? You're just friends?"

Christen pulled her knees to her chest and rested her head on it. "Yeah, just friends."

Megan eyed her curiously, head tilted to the side. "You've got feelings for her." It wasn't a question.

Christen took a deep breath. "I do."   
It was the first time she admitted it out loud. It felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. 

Megan grinned and lightly bumped her shoulder against Christen's. "She's a catch. Why not just go for it? You know how gossip works around here, by tomorrow everyone will think you're banging her, anyway." 

This was just what Christen had feared. The moment Kara Heath's accusation had been out in the open she already saw herself sitting in the principal's office, trying to defend herself. Her breathing quickened as she thought of what it could mean for her career. She felt the blood rushing through her veins. 

"Chris?" Pinoe's voice sounded dull and far away. "Hey, it's okay. Breathe with me. Deep breaths, come on. Just like me. In.... and... out."

It took Christen a few moments to regain her focus, blinking owlishly.  
"You worry too much. Even if you and Tobin were dating, it's not forbidden. You'd just not be allowed to teach Tyler and he won't be your student anymore by the end of the term. If you like her so much, that shouldn't stop you!" Megan's voice had become fierce and Christen couldn't suppress a weak smile. Her friend had always been overly supportive of her. 

"Thanks, Pinoe. There is more though. Her ex wants to file for full custody. You should've seen Tobin's face..." The teacher shook her head frustratedly. "I have a feeling that Kara Heath would do anything to make her look like the bad guy. Hell, it worked on me, too. She's good at playing mind games."

Pinoe got up, pulling Christen with her as well. "Has Tobin talked to her lawyers yet?" 

The teacher shrugged with a sigh.  
"Hey, it's gonna be alright. Tobin seems like a good person, even though you haven't introduced me yet," Pinoe feigned offense with a wink.  
"I might know someone who can help." Her lips curled into a smirk. "The perks of playing professional soccer for so long."

"You make it sound like you know a hitman," Christen retorted and Pinoe laughed.  
"Not quite, but I know a bad ass lawyer, who might be able to kick Kara Heath's ass in court. She's one of my former teammates and specialized in family law." 

"Really?" Christen's eyes lit up and a flicker of hope surged through her body. 

Pinoe nodded. "Of course, Chris. Talk to Tobin and see what she thinks about it and I'll set something up." 

Christen hugged her friend tightly. "Thanks, you're the best!"

***

Back home the teacher fought an internal battle. Part of her wanted to call Tobin immediately but it had only been two hours since Kara Heath stormed out of the auditorium.

After a few minutes, she settled on texting her.

**Christen**   
_Any news? Are you okay?_

The three dots appeared and disappeared, only to appear and disappear again a few seconds later, increasing Christen's worries.  
She knew she shouldn't be overly worried. Tobin was a smart woman who could certainly handle that witch on her own but the teacher couldn't help herself. She had the sinking feeling that Tobin herself did not think she'd deserved to fight for custody. Trying to distract herself, Christen pulled out the latest science tests and started grading the papers. 

About halfway through them, her phone vibrated, making her jump. Tobin's reply was short. 

**Tobin**   
_She's not relenting._

"Fuck," Christen muttered under her breath. Tobin had ignored the question about her wellbeing, just like she had when Ty asked her a few days ago. Sighing, she sat down on the couch, Morena following her immediately. The dog put her head on Christen's leg, curling up against her, warm and solid. 

Scratching Morena's ears absently, the teacher thought about her options.   
"I really want to see her right now," Christen told the dog softly. "She's hurting and although I can't fix it, I could at least keep her company."   
The dog raised her head and nudged her leg as if to say 'go for it then'.

"You know what? I will," the teacher decided and got up. "C'mon girls, were going out!" She grabbed her bag and the keys and left the house, two excited dogs right behind her. 

***

When Christen rang the bell she was already in her head about what to say, but the doctor buzzed her in immediately. Was she expecting company? Maybe she should've called in advance? The teacher thought about calling her now but Morena and Khaleesi were already waiting in front of the elevator, looking at her expectantly. 

On the ride up Christen worried her bottom lip, hoping not to overstep.  
She knocked on the door of Tobin's apartment and told her dogs to sit and wait. The door swung open and revealed a dejected looking Tobin. The doctor blinked in surprise. "You're not Gordon."

Christen furrowed her brows in confusion. "Gordon?"

"Oh, uh..." Tobin's cheeks heated up. "He's the pizza delivery guy. What are you doing here, Chris?" she asked, pushing her glasses back up her nose.   
Before she could answer, Khaleesi had enough of being ignored by the humans and let out a high pitched whine to get their attention.

"You've brought the dogs?" Tobin said with the hint of a smile as she finally took notice, leaning down to pet them. The girls greeted her enthusiastically.   
"Yeah, I wanted to make sure you're okay. Thought you might want to hang out? It's totally okay, if you'd rather be alone, I can-"

Tobin shook her head. "Chris, it's fine," she reassured her. "I'm... I'm glad you're here. Come in." She stepped aside to let them in and walked straight into the kitchen to fill water in a bowl for the dogs.  
"Thanks," Christen smiled, grateful for Tobin's thoughtfulness. The doctor nodded. "Can I offer you something to drink?"

"No, I'm good, thank you."

Tobin slumped down on her couch, her usually warm and soft brown eyes looking empty. She wore the same ratty shirt Christen had seen her put on in the hospital. Even Morena and Khaleesi seemed to sense that something was off. Both dogs jumped up on the couch, much to Christen's dismay, and curled up against the doctor.   
"Oh god, I'm sorry Tobin! They don't do that normally."

The older woman was already giving them attention. "Don't worry about it. I don't mind." Khaleesi let out a satisfied huff and closed her eyes. Watching the doctor's expression soften as she pet the dogs, Christen thought she had made the right decision to come here.

"I'm sorry your talk with Kara didn't go well," the teacher stated cautiously. Tobin let out a forced laugh. "That's one way to put it. She didn't even letting me in."  
The doorbell rang and Gordon showed up with Tobin's pizza. 

"Would you like some pizza?" she asked as she carried the box to the couch, Morena and Khaleesi staring at it intently. 

"What kind of pizza?" 

"Plain cheese," Tobin replied, holding out the carton to her. Christen threw the dogs a warning look. Morena and Khaleesi jumped off the couch, sitting back down on the floor, eyes never leaving the food. Christen grabbed some dog treats out of her bag before grabbing a slice of pizza as well.

After they had finished their food, Khaleesi jumped back on the couch to cuddle up against Tobin's right side while Morena laid all sprawled out on the floor.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Christen asked softly. 

Tobin picked at the carton, not able to look Christen in the eyes.   
"I just... I can't lose him!" Her voice broke. "Not when he's finally opening up to me again. Those weeks of him ignoring me, they killed me, Chris. I thought I had lost him." A single tear ran down her cheek. Christen scooted closer, pulling Tobin's shaking hand away from the pizza box and holding it tightly in hers.

"What happened, Tobs? I thought you'd have a breakdown when Ty asked you not to leave again."   
The pained expression was back on the doctor's face. 

"I've fucked up. That's what happened. Fuck, Chris... I never thought I would have a kid! I never planned on it but then these two walked into my life and turned it upside down. My- my career has always been important to me. I love my job. It's what I'm good at, it's fulfilling. Never had much of a private life until they came along. The first few years with them were wonderful but, somewhere along the way... things between Kara and me changed. We argued a lot and she... became more and more controlling of me _and_ Ty. I had just started a new position in the hospital and worked overtime a lot. Ty once woke me up at two in the morning and asked if I wanted to play with him n-now that I was finally home. It broke my heart, Chris." 

The doctor ran her free hand through her hair, taking a deep breath. Christen squeezed her hand encouragingly. 

"That night I knew that something had to change. I started to make more time for Ty and even brought him to the hospital with me a few times a week. Kara and I tried counseling but it didn't help. We just- we weren't right for each other. One night I was out for dinner with one of my residents. She had just lost her first patient and I wanted to make sure she was okay and had someone to talk to. Well, Kara had been looking for me at the hospital and someone told her where I was. She strode into that restaurant and caused a huge scene kinda like...uh-"

"Like she did today," Christen finished the sentence for her with a grimace. It wasn't hard to imagine. 

"Uhm... yeah, exactly," Tobin confirmed. "That night she filed for divorce. I swear I didn't cheat on her. I would never do that. She- she didn't believe me, though."   
Christen squeezed her hand again and nodded.

The doctor squeezed back, as if she wanted to make sure to stay present in this moment. "Some part of me was relieved that it was finally over but not seeing Tyler everyday was... it was hard. We used to read Harry Potter together every night before bed." Tobin swallowed hard. "It wasn't an easy adjustment, so I threw myself back into the one thing that has always been a constant in my life and often worked double shifts. Kara didn't allow him to stay with me on the weekends. I-I don't know what happened but... I felt him pulling away from me? He didn't call me often. Suddenly, he didn't want to come to the hospital as he usually did... I felt him slip away from me and I didn't know why, Chris. That fucking scared me! So I-" 

Tobin paused, angrily wiping away the tears that streamed down her face. The teacher ran her fingers soothingly over her arm. After witnessing how Kara had told Ty not to bother Kelley because she was a busy doctor and how easily the boy accepted it, she had a pretty good idea why a sensitive kid like him would suddenly distance himself from Tobin. Sensing the doctor wasn't done with her story, Christen stayed quiet and waited.

Tobin let out a deep sigh, leaning back into the cushions. "I applied to work for the organisation Doctors Without Borders and took the first chance to get away. I got sent to Burkina Faso for a month and honestly? Back then I was in such a bad headspace, that it felt freeing to get away from seeing the empty apartment whenever I got home. Ty and I facetimed about 3 times a week. I knew he missed me but I just...gosh I was such an idiot. The organization asked me if I could transfer to Mali for another three months and I... agreed. I wanted to help but I also ran away from my problems. I worked in a part of the country that didn't have access to the internet... but I wrote him letters, basically every single day for three months. He-he didn't answer even one of them. I only got back home two days before we first met at school." 

When Tobin finished her story, she got up. Khaleesi, who had still been cuddled up on her other side, looked at her with her head cocked to the side.   
"He hasn't called me mom again since then... but I guess I didn't act like a good mom would, so I don't deserve the title anymore." Her voice was rough from crying and she flung her hands restlessly in the air.

Christen slowly stood up as well, crossing the distance between them, pulling the doctor into a warm embrace. "Did you mean it?"

Tobin pulled back, those brown eyes full of confusion and agony. "Did I mean what?"

"When you told Tyler that you would never leave him again? Not running away when it gets rough?"

"Never again!" she answered with absolute conviction. 

Christen nodded with a soft smile. "Then it's time for you to forgive yourself. I'm not saying you've handled it well but Tyler still loves you, Tobin. How is he supposed to forgive you when you're not able to forgive yourself and be the mom he deserves and needs?"

Tobin stared at her with an dumbfounded expression, so Christen continued. "Ty needs you to fight for him now, Tobin. Ever since you came back he has changed so much. The way Kara treats him is toxic and you _know_ that. So stop pitying yourself and make sure that witch will not get full custody!" 

Tobin bit her lip, a small smile spreading over her face. "You know, you're really good at giving pep talks." 

Christen shrugged, winking at her. "I became a teacher for a reason."

Tobin's smile grew wider, reaching her eyes again, lightening up her whole face the way Christen liked it so much.   
_There she is again._

Tobin sat back down on the couch, pulling Khaleesi into her lap to rub her belly. "I guess I should get in touch with a lawyer then."

"Oh, I actually already know someone..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we finally know why Ty ignored Tobin for so long...
> 
> Who do you think is gonna be the attorney Pinoe suggested?


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, I'm finally back!:)  
> Since I got so many messages about my rather slow updates lately: I see you and I appreciate you liking this story so much. A lot happened in my personal life these past weeks. New town, new job, new everything.  
> Now that the dust has mostly settled I'm trying to get back to more frequent updates. 
> 
> Thank you for your support and all these kind words!
> 
> This chapter **mentions a suicide attempt so please read with caution!**

Once Christen and the dogs left, much later than both of them had expected, Tobin stood rooted in her doorway. The teacher had done so much for her today and deep inside she knew that Christen was right. Sitting here drowning in self regret would not help Ty at all. Sighing, the doctor closed the door, feeling strangely disconnected. She cleaned the coffee table and grabbed the business card Christen had left for her. 

Would Ty even want to live with her? Twirling the card in between her fingers, she thought about all the positive aspects Christen had pointed out, that were missing in her son's life when she was gone. Nodding subconsciously, Tobin got up. She would definitely call the attorney tomorrow. 

***

Arms wrapped around several bags from Christen's favorite Italian place, Tobin walked through the school's entrance hall. Cursing herself for never asking the teacher where her office was, she tried to fish her phone out of her pocket while balancing the bags with her other hand. The pile started to shake dangerously.

"Can I help you?" A glass door to her right had opened, an old lady poking her head out.  
The doctor cleared her throat. "Hi, I've got a food delivery for Ms. Press," Tobin explained as she walked closer. The woman eyed her suspiciously. 

"And who exactly are you? She isn't expecting anyone."  
Tobin threw her one of her disarming smiles. "I'm Tobin Heath. I'm Christen's... friend."  
The old lady opened her door wider, gesturing Tobin to follow her inside as she walked over to her desk and grabbed her phone.

"Christen, honey! I've got someone here who wants to bring you lunch," she said cheerfully. "A Tobin Heath."  
The doctor couldn't hear what was said on the other end of the call but the woman's eyes widened and a smile appeared on her face. She ended the call and turned her attention back to Tobin.  
"Go down the hallway and take the stairs to the second floor. Christen's office is the fifth door on the left."

"Thanks!" Tobin replied gratefully. She was pretty sure that she wouldn't have found it without the help of the older woman.

Christen's door was already open when she got there, the teacher smiling brightly as Tobin walked into the room.

"Dr. Tobin Heath leaving the hospital early to bring me a late lunch? What a surprising turn of events." She used her signature half wink half blink and took the bags out of Tobin's hands.

"Oh come on, I'm not that bad!" Tobin argued and rolled her eyes playfully. The teacher laughed. "You kind of are, Tobs. Thanks for this!"  
She opened one of the containers, inhaling the heavenly scent of fresh herbs with a pleased sigh.

Tobin sat down in front of Christen's desk, the teacher already eating her pasta with enthusiasm. "Mhmm... so good! You have no idea how much I needed this today," Christen grinned without looking up from her food.

"Are you okay?" Tobin asked quietly as she took a closer look at the other woman. Her shoulders were tense and she looked more stressed than Tobin had ever seen. 

Christen nodded but put the fork aside.  
"It's just this three day class trip I've planned. We're going camping, which itself isn't exactly my cup of tea." She wrinkled her nose in distaste at the thought. "But now one of the teachers, who was supposed to come with me and another colleague, got sick and won't be back till the trip is over. Now I've got to call the parents and see if someone would want to accompany us on the trip... and well- let's just say those high society parents are usually not more into camping than I am." She rubbed her temples.

Tobin frowned. "Headache?"  
"Just getting started," Christen answered with a shrug. Wordlessly, the doctor got up and walked around the desk until she stood behind her friend.  
_Yes, friend. Cause that's what they were and friends obviously help each other out._

"You're super tense Chris. Relax," Tobin said and started to press gently into the tense muscles of Christen's shoulders and neck. Christen let out a soft sigh.  
"Oh Tobs, that feels so good."

Tobin swallowed hard as she continued massaging Christen's smooth neck. God, she was so beautiful and her skin felt so soft. This was a bad idea. Tobin could feel her pulse quicken.  
_Treat her like a patient!_

"This will help with the headache," Tobin explained, trying to slip back into doctor mode. "Your neck is really stiff, Chris. No wonder you're in pain."

"Your hands are like magic!" Christen declared after a few more minutes. Tobin raised her brows with a smirk as the teacher blushed furiously.  
"Feeling better?"  
She nodded vigorously. " _So_ much better." 

Was it her imagination or did Christen's voice sound huskier than usual?  
"Good. Now about that camping trip... when is it?" She wanted to sound casual, not like she was eager to go with them. 

Christen groaned again. "We leave next Wednesday."  
"Wow, that is indeed last minute," Tobin admitted and sat back into her chair. Biting her lip as she was mentally going through her schedule for the next week, she made a decision.  
"I could go with you," she offered slowly.

Christen's head snapped up in surprise. "You?! But... Tobin, I know what your schedule looks like next week." The teacher stared at her as if she was crazy. 

Tobin gently shook her head. "I'm sure I can make it work somehow." She grinned from ear to ear now. "Besides, I love camping. This is gonna be so much fun."

"Of course you do," Christen muttered under her breath, shaking her head. "If you're sure you can do it-"

"I can!" Tobin answered firmly. The teacher's lips formed a small smile. "Thank you, Tobin. I would've hated to cancel the trip."

She ate the rest of her meal before she spoke again. "How are you holding up? Have you called the lawyer yet?"  
Squirming in her seat a little, Tobin nodded. "I have. That's actually one of the reasons I'm here. I'm meeting her after the drama group on Thursday and I've wondered if you'd accompany me?"

Christen's face was unreadable.  
"I just- uh- since you're kind of involved because of Kara's freak out, I thought it would make sense," Tobin rambled, nervously pushing her glasses back up her nose.

"I'll come with you," Christen agreed without anymore hesitation.

***

"Please!" Tobin begged her best friend. "I know this is short notice but I really need you to cover my shift next Friday."

Kelley, who was currently leaning back comfortably in her chair behind her desk, had her feet propped up. The freckled doctor had listened to Tobin's passionate speech why this trip was important to her for the last five minutes. 

"Okay," she shrugged simply. "I get that you want to spend as much time with Ty as possible."

"Thank you so much, Kell!" Tobin sighed in relief, finally allowing herself to relax a little. She'd spend the majority of her morning talking to her boss, trying to convince him to change her shifts. They had found an acceptable solution for Wednesday and Thursday but not for Friday. Tobin hated to ask Kelley to do a double shift but she couldn't let this chance to go with Tyler and Christen slip away.

"Does that mean you're gonna share a tent with Pressy?" Kelley's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"She uh- didn't say anything about the sleeping arrangements but I doubt she would've shared a tent with the other teacher so I'm sure it'll be okay," Tobin said, not only wanting to convince Kelley but also herself. 

The door swung open before Kelley could answer. "Hey, Kell I-"  
Emily Sonnett stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Tobin.

"Tobin! Hi," she waved awkwardly and so very much unlike the usual Sonny she was used to. "I just wanted to ask you about this case, I'll come back later." The resident smiled at them and got out of the office.  
Tobin furrowed her brows, what a strange interaction and was that a blush on Kelley's face?  
"Tell me this isn't what it looks like!" Tobin exclaimed suddenly, pointing back at the door. 

Kelley scrambled to her feet. "It's not what you think- We-"

Tobin shook her head disapprovingly. "A resident? Really?" 

The freckled doctor rolled her eyes. "Will you please let me explain?! It's not just sex!" She lowered her voice. "We're dating! I like her a lot." 

This was not what Tobin had expected at all. "You're... dating?"

Rolling her eyes once more, Kelley nodded. "Yes, keep up Tobito." 

"Huh." 

Kelley threw her a nervous glance, reminding her of a much younger Kelley, back in med school, when she caught her making out with her roommate.

"Relax, I'm not gonna tell anyone," Tobin assured her. "Just don't get caught at work."

"We're careful," Kelley grinned. "We don't want to make it official yet I-"

Tobin's phone beeped loudly. "Saved by the bell. Gotta go." 

She got up and hurried down the corridor passing Sonny on her way to the emergency department, who was currently typing furiously on her phone.

Sam was already running towards her. "Tobin! A woman with drug overdose coming in in two!"  
Pulling on her gloves, Tobin nodded. "Is she conscious? Any information what she took?" 

"Yes, but she didn't want to tell the paramedics."

Tobin cursed under her breath. "Okay. We'll handle it. Can you prepare room five, please?"  
Sam nodded and left while Tobin waited for the patient to arrive. 

The doors flung open and a team of paramedics rushed in. Tobin glanced at the young woman on the stretcher. Fuck, she couldn't be older than seventeen.  
Clearing the details with the paramedics on the way to the ER five, Tobin focused on any visible signs of drug addiction but she couldn't find any. Hair, skin and nails looked flawless. Her name was Penelope and a neighbor had called the ambulance after seeing her collapse. 

The girl's breathing was too fast, sounding raspy and her pupils were enlarged. Small tremors shook her body. She looked disorientated.  
Tobin tried to get her attention.  
"Penelope, please tell me what you took," the doctor asked loudly, grabbing her patient's hands but the girl shook her head. 

Her eyes looked at Tobin pleadingly. 

"Please let me help you feel better, I promise you won't get into trouble," the doctor urged but Penelope just shook her head, leaning back against the exam table as if she just wanted to let it all go. Tobin had the sinking feeling that this hadn't been an accident. The tremors got stronger, she needed to do something. Now.

"We gotta perform a gastric lavage, get the equipment," Tobin ordered the nurses quickly, getting the intravenous access ready and setting up the monitor. Not knowing what kind of pills she took, sedation was out of question, this would be an unpleasant experience for everyone involved. 

She explained what was about to happen and calmed Penelope as best as she could before getting the bite block and gently rolling her into the left lateral decubitus position to to decrease the aspiration risk. 

Taking a deep breath, she took the tube, squeezing Penelope's hand reassuringly one last time before getting started. 

***

About six hours and several patients later, Tobin took a small break to get a sandwich from the hospital's cafeteria. She pulled out her phone, instantly on the edge when she saw the notifications. Ty had sent her several messages a few hours ago. 

Smearing mayo on her display she hastily opened the messages, her heart rate accelerated. Was he okay? Did something happen?

It were... sketches.  
Just a few sketches for the drama group's dragon. Tobin breathed out a sigh of relief and looked more closely at them. She couldn't help smiling proudly as she took in the details. Some were slightly out of proportion but they still looked amazing. 

_  
Tyler zoomed around in the living room. The 4 year old wore a blanket as a cape, his fist outstretched like Superman. In his excitement he tried to "fly" below the table, bumping his head against the wood on the way out._

_Tobin, who had been drawing, poked her head below the table.  
"Are you okay, sweetie?" she asked softly as she scanned Tyler's body for any serious damage. The boy's bottom lip wobbled.  
"Ouch!" he said, rubbing his head. Tobin pulled him out from under the table, taking a quick look at his forehead.  
"Please, be more careful Ty."  
The boy nodded, climbing into her lap. She wrapped an arm around him.  
"Pwetty picture!" he exclaimed when he saw what Tobin had been drawing.  
"You think so? Want to draw with me?"  
Ty's eyes lit up and he nodded with a grin, his tiny hands already grabbing for a pencil.  
_

Chuckling at the memory of her sweet boy Tobin grinned at her phone. She forwarded the message to Christen to give the teacher a first glimpse of the final costume design and got up. 

She had just made it back down to the emergency department when her phone vibrated in her pocket.

**Christen**  
_Looks fantastic. Can't wait for the real costume!_

Smiling to herself the doctor put the phone away, her focus shifting back to work.

After a simple ear infection, a nasty burn, and an emergency appendectomy done by Sonnett, it was finally morning and time for Tobin to go home. Her thoughts drifted to Penelope and she decided to trust her gut feeling. She went to her office to retrieve her bag and stopped at the front desk on her way out.

"Hey Sam, in which room is Penelope?" Tobin asked quietly. The young woman, who had been packing up her things as well, looked up.  
"Penelope? Uh- wait, let me see."  
Sam sat down, clicking through the patients files on the computer.  
"Room 212."  
"Thank you, Sam."

***  
Knocking softly against the door, Tobin entered the room. One glance around and the doctor knew that Penelope's parents had to be wealthy. It was one of the nicest single bed rooms the hospital had. Penelope laid in her bed, seemingly sound asleep. Tobin got a little closer and cleared her throat.

"I know you're awake, Penelope. Your breathing is off," the doctor said with a small smile. 

A sigh was heard and the young woman turned around, facing her.  
She was pale and looked drained, avoiding every eye contact.  
"What do you want?!" Penelope asked in a raspy voice and crossed her arms defensively. 

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay. I'm Dr. Heath, I've treated you last night," Tobin explained calmly. She had expected the defensive behavior. "How are you feeling, Penelope?"

"Don't call me that and I'm fine!" she snapped. 

"How should I call you then?" Tobin questioned, ignoring her patient's rude attitude. 

"Penny. Can you just leave me alone now?!"

"Penny it is." Tobin sat down on the end of her bed.  
"What happened last night?" Her voice was soft, not judging. She wanted Penelope to feel save around her.

"Nothing." 

"Nothing does usually not bring people into the emergency department with an overdose late at night," Tobin replied casually. 

"I just wanted to-"  
The door opened and a middle aged woman rushed in.  
"Penelope, darling! Are you okay? What happened?! Your father and I have been worried sick the moment we heard of it!"

"I'm okay, mom. Don't worry," the young woman retorted with a grimace that was probably an awful attempt to be a reassuring smile.

"You gave me a heartattack!" She turned to Tobin. "I'd like to speak with the doctor who treated her, please!"

Tobin sat a bit straighter. "You're talking to her, Ma'am." 

Penelope's mother threw her a skeptical glance but nodded.  
"What happened to my baby?!"

Behind her mother, Penelope shook her head wildly, trying to get Tobin's attention. 

"Actually, I was about to check up on her, if you could please give us a moment? Or would you want your mother to stay?" Tobin asked innocently, already knowing the answer.

"No, no. Mom can wait outside," she agreed and Tobin opened the door. "If you'll excuse us for a moment, please."

"I- but-" she looked from her daughter to Tobin, let out an exasperated sigh and left the room.

Closing the door behind her, the doctor turned back to her patient.  
"Please, please don't tell her what happened!" Penelope begged, grabbing her blanket tightly.

Tobin sat back down on her bed's end. "How am I supposed to help you when you're not honest with me, Penny?" 

The young woman's eyes softened a little.  
"I just wanted to sleep," she mumbled, not meeting Tobin's eyes. "My dad has some sleeping pills in his nightstand, so I thought... why not? It was an accident." 

"But you didn't want us to help you. I know the look of someone who _wants_ to live. Please don't lie to me. I'm not judging you."  
Her voice was calm and soft, trying not to upset her. 

A single tear ran down Penny's cheek as her resolve broke. "I just can't handle it anymore. It- it's too much. I just wanted peace and quiet for once." her words were barely more than a whisper. 

Tobin's hand twitched, wanting to comfort her but she forced herself to remain her distance, unsure if it would upset her or not. Psychology hadn't been her strongest suit back in medschool but she could listen. So she did. For over half an hour she listened to the young woman talking about the bullying she had to endure at school and the pressure her parents, who apparently owned a huge advertising company, put on her.  
"I know I shouldn't feel this way, that I'm young and all but-"

"You're allowed to feel this way" Tobin said firmly, not allowing her to put down her own feelings. "But you need help, Penny."  
She grabbed her bag and rummaged through it till she found what she was looking for. Handing Penelope the business card, she smiled at her. "My friend Ash is a therapist. She'll be able to help you get what you need."

Penny took the card and put it safely into the the side pocket of her jacket that hung over a chair close to the bed.  
"Thank you Dr. Heath," she mumbled, finally looking her into the eyes. "What about my mom? Do I have to tell her? I don't want her to worry." 

Tobin nodded, wanting to make sure someone kept an eye on Penny until Ash could take over.  
"Want me to stay here to support you?" 

Swallowing hard, the young woman nodded weakly. "Please."

***

Her first impulse when she left the hospital three hours later than planned, was to call Christen.  
The teacher had wormed her way into Tobin's life so easily that it almost scared her.  
Shaking her head subconsciously, Tobin got into her car and drove home. She took a hot shower and threw herself onto the couch. It was almost lunchtime but she didn't feel hungry. 

Her phone vibrated on the coffee table.

**Christen**  
_How was your shift? My class has been unfocused all day cause they'll get a hamster tomorrow._

A slow but full smile stretched out on Tobin's face as she imagined a class of buzzing kids waiting for the day to be over so they could meet their new pet. 

**Tobin**  
_Why did you tell them today?_

**Christen**  
_I got excited as well. Who do you think made sure the class could get one asap? 😬_

Tobin laughed out loud. God, this woman was so sweet and pure. 

**Tobin**  
_Should've known. You're really something else, Ms. Press._

They texted back and forth for a while until Tobin couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. Hands still tightly clasped around the phone, the doctor fell asleep on the couch, a content smile on her face. 

***

“Toby, the shades on the wings need to be a bit darker,” Tyler instructed as they worked together on the finishing touches of the costume. Tobin handed him the brush so he could correct them. 

“Wow this looks so real! Amazing work, guys!” Christen gushed as she inspected their progress. 

Ty’s cheeks heated up and he mumbled a shy “Thank you, Ms. Press,” while Tobin just grinned proudly. 

There was an amused glint in the teacher’s eye.

“What?” 

Christen burst out laughing, a sound she could get used to hearing everyday.  
“You have... a little bit of paint in your face,” the teacher pointed out, pulling out her phone for Tobin to take a look at her face. Dark smudges were on her cheeks and somehow even on her forehead. 

“Oh.” 

Tyler came over from his side of the dragon to take a look, giggling when he saw Tobin’s paint covered face. 

“Oh, you think that’s funny?” Tobin asked with a raised eyebrow, grabbing the paintbrush like a sword and with an impish grin. 

Ty’s eyes widened as he realized what she was about to do.  
“Ms. Press, save me!” he shrieked happily and ducked behind the teacher to shield himself from Tobin’s paint attack. 

The teacher laughed at their antics until a cold and wet brush hit her cheek. 

“You didn’t?!”  
Christen shook her head like a dog, grabbing one of the brushes herself. “You’re so getting that back, Heath.” 

Before the adults could actually start a paint fight, Tyler cleared his throat.  
“Could you please not do this so close to the dragon? The paint isn’t dry yet.” 

“Of course Tyler, we- we weren’t really going to do anything anyway,” Christen reassured him, looking completely innocent. She met Tobin’s eye and both set down the brushes simultaneously. 

“Should’ve known you’ve mastered the innocent look,” the doctor quipped.

Christen smirked but didn’t say anything in return. She offered Tobin a handkerchief to get rid off the paint on her face and left to see how the other students where doing. 

Ty turned to Tobin with a puzzled expression. “She knows that she still has paint on her face, right?”

Tobin snorted. "Probably not."  
It felt good to joke and have fun. After Kara's threat she hadn't been sure if her ex wife would still allow Tyler to go to the drama group. Not seeing him for a whole week after the incident had left her restless and worried, texting Christen everyday to ask about him. He still seemed to enjoy his time in the group and Tobin suspected that Christen had told the students not to ask him questions about the fallout.

"Can we go to the ice cream parlor again today? With Ms. Press?"  
Tyler asked hopeful as they were packing up the utensils together.

Sighing, Tobin shook her head. "I'm sorry Ty but I don't think that's a good idea."

The boy nodded sadly. "Okay."  
He stared at his shoes putting his hands in his pockets just the way Tobin did when she wanted to look unfazed. 

"I want to. Please, believe me! It's just- if Kara-" her words failed her and she had to hold back a curse. She didn't want him to be mad at Kara but she also didn't want to lie.  
Taking a steadying breath, Tobin started again. "Ty, the thing is... Kara is filing for full custody. Do you know what that means?"

The boy thought for a long moment but shook his head. "Not really."

"It would mean that Kara makes all decisions regarding you alone. Where you spend your time, your school, your extracurricular activities... everything. She uh-" _also wants to make sure I don't get any visitation rights_ "she could also decide how often I'm allowed to see you." 

His eyes widened in shock. "But I don't want that," he whispered in a small voice. 

Her heart broke seeing her son like this but at the same time hope flared in her chest. Tyler _wanted_ her in his life. He didn't want Kara to have full custody. It was all the confirmation she needed. She would do anything to keep her son.

"I'll try to stop her," Tobin said and threw an arm around his shoulders, as they walked back to the rest of the group for one of Christen's famous motivational speeches. 

Tyler hugged Tobin tightly before he climbed into Kara's car. Her ex wife had insisted on picking him up after drama group but since Tobin had an appointment with the attorney today, she didn't try to protest this time.

Christen, who had been waiting out of sight as Ty got picked up, walked up to her.  
"Ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Tobin replied honestly and opened the car door for Christen.

***  
"Can't believe we're going to meet a World Cup champion," Tobin stated nervously as they sat waiting in front of the attorney's office.  
"Fan-girl moment?" Christen replied with a grin. 

"Maybe," she admitted the moment the huge door swung open and a blonde woman with a confident stride walked towards them. She was around their height but the aura of confidence that surrounded her made her somehow seem taller.

"Good afternoon," she greeted them professionally. "My name is Becky Sauerbrunn and I assume that one of you is Dr. Tobin Heath?"

Tobin cleared her throat. "That would be me." They shook hands and the attorney turned towards Christen.  
"You must be Pinoe's friend. Christen, right?"  
The teacher nodded and took the outstretched hand. Wondering what Christen's friend might've told the attorney, she followed Ms. Sauerbrunn into her office. 

A huge polished oak desk stood in the middle of the office, in front of it two dark leather chairs. 

"Please take a seat," Ms. Sauerbrunn offered as she walked behind her desk. They sat down, probably looking like school kids who got called to the director.  
"You have already given me a quick overview on the phone but I'd appreciate it, if you could walk me through the details and everything that happened since your ex wife filed for divorce, Dr. Heath," Ms. Sauerbrunn said and Tobin nodded, throwing a glance at Christen. Unpacking everything in front of her wasn't easy but she wanted her here so she had to deal with it. 

She talked for what felt like ages. Telling the attorney all about Kara's jealousy, the scenes she's caused in public and everything in between. It was a lot and now that she actually took the time to look at their relationship as a whole the doctor wondered how they were even together for that long. It sounded toxic. 

Opening up about her relationship with Tyler was easier until they got to the point of her leaving the country. Ms. Sauerbrunn, who'd been scribbling on her notepad, put the pen down.  
"Is he still not talking to you?" she questioned, eying Tobin with interest. 

The doctor bit her lip. "He's talking to me again." Her eyes met Christen's soft and warm eyes and she instantly felt better. "Ever since I joined Christen's drama group he's been letting me back into his life again."

"Mhmm..." the attorney acknowledged, taking a few more notes. "And this drama group was also where the last fallout happened?" 

"Yes, she uh- she accused me of sleeping with Christen," Tobin said, pointing unnecessarily at the teacher next to her. 

"In front of your students?" Ms. Sauerbrunn addressed Christen now who blushed but nodded.

The attorney scribbled another sentence before looking up. "I've got everything I need, thank you Dr. Heath. I believe that I'm able to help you but to cut straight to the point: from what you've told me about your ex wife, there is no way we can avoid going to court." 

Tobin had already figured as much. "I just wish I could spare Tyler the pain." A lump formed in her throat when she thought about it.

"It's going to be okay, Dr. Heath," Ms. Sauerbrunn reassured her compassionately. "And I do keep my promises." She smiled at her before focusing back on her notes.  
"I'd advise to have my people start investigating immediately."

"Investigating?" Tobin repeated with furrowed brows. 

"Yes, Dr. Heath. When we want to have a chance to win, we need to know everything about her whereabouts, like what kept her from picking Tyler up and calling you last minute? She's going to make you seem unfit to raise him and irresponsible. We have to prove that it isn't true."

Tobin sighed quietly. "Okay. I trust your judgement."

After a few more minutes sorting out the details and the attorney assuring to call her as soon as they've found something, Tobin and Christen were ready to leave. Accompanied by Ms. Sauerbrunn, they were already at the door when the attorney spoke up again.  
"Dr. Heath, can I have a word in private, please?"

_Uh-oh._  
"Sure," she replied after Christen nudged her shoulder encouragingly and left to wait outside.  
Becky Sauerbrunn fixed her with a sharp look that made her nervous.

"Just one more thing Dr. Heath. What is the nature of your relationship with Ms. Press?"

_Fuck._  
"We're friends."

She didn't look fully convinced. "I see. You better keep it that way. A relationship to one of your son's teachers has the potential to blow up this case."

Tobin swallowed hard. "Thanks for your concern but we're just friends."

If only her heart believed that too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay safe everyone and see you soon :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!   
> So much for getting back to more frequent updates...  
> I'm sorry you had to wait this long again and really hope this chapter was worth the wait!   
> Thanks for all the love and support for this story :)

**Tobin**   
_SOS_

Christen's heart stopped when she received the message. Sitting up in her bed, she grabbed her phone tightly in her hand as she pressed the call button. The line connected after a few seconds. 

"Oh my god Tobin, is everything all right?! Are you and Ty okay?" Christen blurted out before the doctor even had the chance to open her mouth. 

The soft laugh at the other end of the line made her pause.   
"Everything's fine, Chris," Tobin reassured her quickly. "I was just wondering what I need to pack for the trip." 

"You- that-" the teacher's brain took a few seconds to get out of panic mode. "Stop scaring me like that!" she scolded but her heart wasn't in it. 

"I'm sorry," the doctor said in a soft, calming tone that worked wonders.

"Uh-huh... Tobs, the trip is tomorrow and you haven't packed yet?"  
Christen herself had packed her suitcase two nights ago, ticking off every needed item on her list. 

The doctor laughed. "I kinda forgot to ask about it."

"Too much stress?"   
They hadn't texted much during the last few days and the teacher suspected that Tobin had to work double shifts. Christen had almost texted Kelley to get the updated schedule but refrained from doing so, thinking about the smug grin on her friend's face. 

The line was quiet for a moment. "Partly. It wasn't easy to get my boss to change the schedule. I might've also assumed that you would've given me a list if there were certain things to bring but then Ty called a few minutes ago and mentioned a checklist for the camping trip." The amusement in the doctor's voice was obvious.

_Damn it!_   
Christen groaned and buried her face in her pillow. She had completely forgotten to send Tobin the list.   
"I'm sorry, Tobin. I handed them to the class last Friday and totally forgot about you needing one too." 

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure I've got most things on your list already in my trunk," the doctor reassured her quickly. 

"I'll send you the list!"   
Christen put Tobin on speaker and snapped a photo of the checklist.  
"There you go. I'm really sorry, Tobs I-"

"Chriiiis, it's fine! Stop apologizing," Tobin laughed lightly. "If I'm missing anything on that list I'll just borrow it from Ty."

"You- you haven't told him that you're coming with us on the trip, have you?" Christen asked tentatively.

"No, I haven't. I didn't want to give Kara a reason to cancel the trip," Tobin admitted with a sigh. 

Christen wished she could hug Tobin now. It was like an almost overwhelming need to be closer to the doctor, to comfort her. To find comfort in her, too. She hugged her pillow instead, Morena and Khaleesi already sleeping at her sister's place tonight so she didn't have to rush early in the morning.  
"I guess, I should let you pack then. You'll need all your strength tomorrow, it's gonna be exhausting," Christen said, barely able to keep the sadness out of her voice. She loved listening to her raspy voice. 

"Yeah, guess you're right. I'll see you in the morning, Chris," Tobin whispered into the phone. "Sweet dreams." 

***

"Good morning," Christen greeted an unhappy looking Pinoe.  
"Morning," came the disgruntled and sleepy reply. "Stop smiling Pressy, it's too early for that."

Christen laughed, shaking her head at her friend's antics. "You volunteered."

"I was an idiot." 

Slowly, the parents arrived to drop their kids off. Kara Heath being one of the first to do so. She gave Christen a cold nod that the teacher returned before helping Ty with his luggage and to his assigned bus seat. 

Tobin was nowhere to be seen and Christen started to worry. They were supposed to leave in five minutes. Where the hell was she?

Three minutes. Pinoe was already on the bus, supervising the kids as Christen pulled out her phone to call her, when she saw a text from Tobin from 20 minutes ago.

**Tobin**   
_Call me when Kara's gone_

Cursing under her breath, Christen did just that.   
"I'm sorry Tobs, I didn't look at my phone, please tell me you can be here quickly?" 

"I'm parking in a backstreet. Give me a minute."  
The doctor hung up the phone before Christen could reply and true to her word she jogged into the parking lot about a minute later.

She wore dark blue pants with deep pockets and a soft looking hoodie. Hair in a messy ponytail, the doctor still looked so effortlessly good, it just wasn't fair.   
"Good morning," Tobin greeted much more cheerfully than Megan had. "Sorry for being late," she said and winked. 

Tyler's eyes went wide when he saw his mom getting on the bus. Christen quickly introduced Tobin to the rest of her class and Pinoe before taking a seat next to her.  
"Ready for a 5 hour road trip in a bus with 25 excited kids?"

"Always," Tobin replied with a grin that matched Christen's. Pinoe only groaned next to them.   
"Great, you two have it covered then." She pulled out a sleeping mask and leaned back in her seat. "Wake me when we're there."

Tobin blinked in surprise. "She can't possibly sleep here with the noise level?"

Christen giggled. "She can sleep everywhere."

The teacher couldn't remember having a bus ride like this before. Once the initial excitement decreased, most of the kids yawned and followed Pinoe's example. Christen wasn't tired though which had probably to do with her new bus buddy, whose body was only a few inches away from her. They talked quietly, not wanting to disturb the kids. 

***

Around 5 hours later they arrived at their destination. It took another 20 minutes walk until they reached the campsite. It was close to a lake and offered many opportunities for the kids. 

Tobin turned out to be the perfect camping companion. She set Christen’s tent up in record time even though she took the time to explain everything to the kids, who surrounded her. 

The teacher watched how those capable hands worked so effortlessly. It was mesmerizing. 

A frustrated grunt echoed from the other end of the campsite.   
Pinoe seemed to wrestle with her tent and the teacher had to bite back a laugh when she saw the blonde outstretched on all fours within a mess of fabric and poles. 

“To- uh, Dr. Heath,” Christen corrected herself quickly. “I think the coach could use your help setting up the tent, too.”

Tobin looked into Pinoe’s direction and laughed out loud, not even trying to hide her amusement. 

Christen supervised the kids building up their tents as Tobin tried to save Megan’s tent. She picked a tent peg up from the ground so none of the kids would hurt their feet. 

15 minutes later the doctor and a guilty looking Pinoe came over.  
“The tent’s broken,” Tobin announced with furrowed brows. “I’ve never seen a mess like that.”  
Christen stared at her. “What? What did you do, Pinoe?”

“Nothing! Mine was already broken when I opened it,” the blonde shrugged. 

Tobin snorted.  
“I’m gonna help the boys setting up their tent,” she excused herself and walked over to Tyler, Raj and Joseph. 

Megan exhaled loudly. “Soooo do we have a spare tent?”

“We don’t. I can’t believe you just shredded your tent,” Christen snickered, eyes not leaving Tobin, who was still giving instructions. 

“Mhm. Shouldn’t you watch the kids and not the hot doctor?” Pinoe retorted with a grin.

Christen slapped her playfully. “Stop, it. I was barely looking in her direction.”  
Okay, maybe she had stared a little.   
“Uh huh.”

As if sensing they’d been talking about her, Tobin threw a huge grin into their direction. 

“You’ve got it bad, Chris,” Pinoe said softly, without a teasing tone in her voice this time.

Christen sighed, absentmindedly twirling the tent peg in her hand. “I know. She makes it hard not to.” 

“Ms. Press?” One or her students piped up. “We need that tent peg now. Could you give it back?”

Blushing, Christen handed it over to the girl. Tobin appeared next to her.   
“What now, boss?” she asked with a playful twinkle in her eyes. 

“Now we need to figure out where Pinoe sleeps,” Christen answered.

“Oh, I just thought I’d take your tent, Pressy? You guys are friends, right? You don’t mind sharing one, do you?” 

Christen gaped at her. “Wh-what? But we’re friends, too. We can share and let Tobin have her own tent.” 

Pinoe shook her head. “Sorry but you snore, Pressy. I need my beauty sleep.“

“That’s not-“

“I don’t mind a little snoring,” Tobin interrupted softly. 

Christen’s cheeks heated up some more. “I don’t snore!” 

Tobin smiles at her, although there was something off. She seemed ... worried?

“Of course Chris and I can share a tent,” she told Pinoe, who grinned triumphantly.   
“If- you’re okay with it, too,” Tobin hastily added in Christen’s direction who could only nod weakly.

***

The day went by more quickly than Christen could've ever imagined. Once all the tents stood and everyone had unpacked, the class ate their lunch together in one of the large wood cabins around the lake. Somehow, she always found herself close to Tobin. 

Sitting next to her at lunch, Tobin walking alongside her as they explored the surrounding forest. The doctor was always present. She also didn't miss Pinoe giving them space and wasn't sure if she was grateful or annoyed. Somehow Tobin managed to spend time with Tyler while making sure he'd get the chance to interact and bond with his classmates too. 

The sun had already set and everyone was seated around the campfire, the kids and Tobin making stick bread over the fire.   
"Ms. Press when is the bread ready?" Amy asked impatiently.

"It's barely been two minutes,  
Amy," Christen grinned. "Patience. It's ready when you tap against the dough and it sounds hollow. Just be careful, it's hot."

Just as the words had left her mouth, Tobin, who had checked on her dough, hissed in pain next to her.   
"See! Told you to be careful," Christen laughed and the class joined in. 

***

_It's okay. You just sleep in a tent together. Nothing's going to happen. You each have a sleeping bag and the tent is big enough that you do not end up touching each other._

It was time for bed and Christen had spend the last hour checking in on the kids in their tents, stalling to get into the tent with Tobin. More than once she thought about just getting her stuff and sleeping in Pinoe's tent but she didn't want Tobin to think that she didn't want to share a tent with her. She just wanted it _too_ much.

The teacher pulled the zipper open and stared into an empty tent. Where was Tobin? Should she look for her? Deciding against it, Christen crawled into her sleeping bag, cuddling into her favorite pillow she had brought from home. A few minutes later Tobin crawled into the tent, a guilty smile on her face. 

"I'm sorry. I was with Ty. It's been a while since I had the chance to say good night to him in person," Tobin explained with soft eyes, making Christen's heart flutter.

"I'm just so happy that he's letting me in again," Tobin beamed, making herself comfortable in the sleeping bag and turned onto her side to face Christen. "I'll be forever grateful for what you did, Chris. If it wasn't for your help... Ty would still ignore me." 

"You're an amazing mom, Tobin. You deserved a second chance," Christen said quietly and squeezed Tobin's hand. Those warm, deep brown eyes... god! Before she could get any more lost and do anything stupid, the teacher turned the flashlight off.  
 _Let go of her hand!_

But Tobin intertwined their fingers before she had the chance to let go. Christen swallowed hard as Tobin's thumb caressed her skin. 

"You're a great friend, Chris," the doctor whispered into the dark.   
_Friend. There you go. Now stop acting like a teenager!_

"Thanks, Tobs. We should.. we should sleep now."

She didn't get much sleep that night. The mattress was comfortable and Tobin turned out to her personal heater. At some point of the night the doctor had moved closer, draping an arm around Christen's middle, a relaxed smile on her face. The teacher stiffened and laying wide awake until it was time to get up, not trusting herself if she'd fall asleep. 

***

"Wow you look awful," Pinoe commented as Christen and Tobin entered the already buzzing cabin together the next morning.

"Thanks, Pinoe," the teacher grumbled and sat down between Amy and Philipp.   
"Don't listen to her, Ms. Press. You look always so pretty," Amy stated and threw Pinoe a disapproving look. Tobin, who had just sat down next to Ty, burst out laughing.   
"Thank you, Amy," Christen grinned, touched by the girl's defense. 

"So what's the plan for today?" the doctor asked as she piled up scrambled eggs and bacon on her plate.

Christen smirked. "You want to tell me you didn't read the second page of the list, Dr. Heath?"

Tobin's eyes twinkled when she met her gaze. "Maybe I would have, if someone had actually sent me the second page." 

Christen laughed and took a quick sip of her tea. "Pinoe has offered to teach those who are interested some soccer." Tobin cocked her head with interest but waited for her to continue. 

"Those who aren't interested in playing soccer can either go hiking with me, or try water skiing. They'll have a professional teacher but I'd like you to stay with the kids and keep an eye on them."

"Sounds awesome!" Tobin exclaimed excitedly and grinned. 

As they waited patiently for the kids to get ready and decide on what they'd want to do for the rest of the day, Tobin sat down next to her on one of the logs.   
"You know, when you said camping in the woods I didn't think it'd be this nice," Tobin told her with a chuckle. "You described it like sleeping in the middle of nowhere without bathrooms and all. Not having a campsite like this."

Christen raised her brows. "Really? You thought that the city's most expensive private school would allow such a trip?"

Tobin flashed her a toothy grin. "Well, if you put it that way..."

"Are you okay supervising them at the lake?" the teacher asked gently. 

"Of course. Waterski is fun! I'm more of a wakeboarding fan myself but it's gonna be great for the kids. Seems like Ty's gonna join you for the hike though." She nodded in his direction. 

The boy seemed to be in a serious conversation with Amy, already wearing a windbreaker and his hiking shoes. Tobin smiled softly as she watched him shoulder his bright orange backpack that seemed slightly too large for him. 

Most of her kids decided on one of the more adventurous activities. Besides Tyler and Amy only four other students wanted to go hiking but Christen didn't mind.   
The teacher clapped into her hands and guided the group away from the campsite and into the forest. "Any ideas what we should do first when we go hiking in a unfamiliar area?" she asked the kids, wanting them to take something away from this trip. 

"Check if our phone's battery is full?" one of the boys supplied and Christen nodded.   
"That's a good start. But if you have no signal out there?"

Ty shuffled his feet, something Christen had come to associate with him wanting to say something but still gathering the courage. "Yes, Tyler?"

"Orientate ourselves," Ty murmured quietly.

"Exactly. Well done, Tyler," she praised and started the hike, sometimes stopping to point out interesting facts or to ask them a few more questions. 

They took a break to eat some sandwiches for lunch.   
Two of the boys couldn't sit still any longer and started chasing each other through the understory. 

"Guys, be careful," Christen warned as they rushed past them. Amy was about to sit down on a tree stump when Tyler jumped up and pulled her away. "No, don't!"   
It was the loudest volume Christen had ever heard him speak. Confused everyone stared at him. His face turned red and he let go of Amy's arm.   
"Th- that's a Toxicodendron," he explained and pointed at the leaves. When they continued to stare he cleared his throat. "Uh- poison ivy?"

Christen looked closer at the tree stump.   
_Shit._ Tyler was right.  
"Good eye," the teacher told him, grateful that he'd pulled Amy away from the stump. "Make sure you don't touch this plant. It can cause very painful allergic skin reactions."

"Thank you, Ty," Amy said with a huge smile and hugged him tightly. His face heated up again and Christen wished that Tobin was here to witness this soft interaction between them. 

"N-no problem,"Tyler squeaked and tentatively hugged her back. "My mom and I used to go camping a few times a year and she taught me a lot about plants." 

An hour later it was time to head back. The sun would set soon and Christen wanted to be back before that.   
"Ms. Press? How long until we're back in camp?" Timothy asked in a bit of annoyance. Somehow the way back always seemed longer. 

The teacher smiled kindly. "Just another 10 minutes."   
She looked into 6 happy faces and was just about to say something when she tripped over a root. It took her by surprise. Helplessly, she stretched her left arm out to catch herself but too late. Christen landed hard on her outstretched arm and pain shot through her shoulder. It took everything in her not to scream out. 

Laying on the ground, she held her shoulder. Pain radiated from the joint and white dots flashed in front of her eyes. _Fuck. This wasn't good. Something was terribly wrong._  
Trying to breathe evenly, Christen closed her eyes for a second. A wave of nausea hit her. 

"Ms. Press?! Are you okay?" Amy sounded like she was close to tears. She forced her eyes open. Her kids kneeled around her, worry evident on their faces. 

"Call Tobin," she pressed out between two deep breaths. Ty nodded, jumped up and pulled his phone out.   
_Please have service. Please have service._ Christen thought desperately. She didn't think she could make it all the way back to camp.   
"Ms. Press are you going to die now?" Timothy asked quietly.

"No, of course not," she tried to soothe his worries through gritted teeth. "My arm just got hurt."

Tyler walked up and down next to them, apparently not having a signal.   
"Mom!" he yelled into the phone as the line finally connected. "No, no I'm fine! It's Ms. Press. She fell."

_Did he just?_

He was quiet for a second, looking at her with concern as he listened to his mother. "No, I-I think it's her shoulder. It looks a bit strange.."  
Christen considered peaking down at her shoulder for a second but dismissed the thought. Laying still seemed like a better option. 

"Yeah- okay. GPS is working, just track my phone." After ending the call, Tyler crouched down next to Christen. "My mom is on her way. You're gonna be okay, Ms. Press," he said softly, trying to calm her down.

"Thanks, Ty."

"Just a few more minutes," Tyler continued. "She's a fast runner. You should see her on the pitch." If she didn't feel like her arm had been ripped off her shoulder, Christen would've smiled at the boy's attempt to distract her. 

***

"Ty? Chris?!" Tobin's shout echoed loudly through the woods.  
After what felt like an eternity, they could finally hear footsteps approaching. "We're here!" Tyler yelled towards the steps. 

From her position on the ground Christen could only see Tobin's muscular legs approach.   
"Shit, Chris!" 

She kneeled down next to the teacher, pulling several utensils out of the same case she'd used to help Amy all those weeks ago.   
"Okay Chris, talk to me," she said and gently touched Christen's thigh. "Does anything else except for your shoulder and arm hurt?" The doctor's concerned eyes flickered over her body, scanning it for damage.   
"N-no, just my shoulder." 

Tobin nodded and grabbed a pair of scissors from her case. "I need to cut through your sleeve to get a better look at the joint, okay?"   
She made quick work of Christen's windbreaker and sweater without moving her shoulder or arm much.

The doctor hummed as she surveyed the damage, softly moving Christen's arm, feeling for the joint's socket with her fingers. Christen squirmed in discomfort.  
"Ouch, damn!"

"I'm sorry. You've got a dislocated shoulder, Chris," Tobin explained softly. "Can you feel your arm?"

"Y-yes." 

"Good. It doesn't look so bad. I can reset the joint but it will be painful. I'd like to give you some pain meds. Are you allergic to anything?" 

"No, I'm not."

Tobin nodded again, preparing the syringe and cleaned Christen's skin. "Ready?"

Christen clenched her jaw again. "Yes."  
Careful and with steady hands, Tobin injected the pain medication. She rubbed Christen's uninjured arm softly. "Just a few more minutes and you'll feel better." 

It felt like someone had put a filter onto her eyes. Everything around her seemed less focused, became fuzzy and the pain, that was still radiating from her shoulder, dulled. She let out a relieved sigh. 

Tobin smiled warmly at her. "Meds are kicking in, huh? Can you feel that?" She used her finger to touch along Christen's forearm.

The teacher shook her head. "No, I don't." 

"Good. I need you to lay down flat on your back now, Chris."

She did as she was told, feeling like she was... floating?   
Tobin held her arm and something pressed into her armpit. "Okay, Chris. Don't move. You'll feel the tug."

Tobin pulled at her arm and Christen felt how the joint popped back into place. Despite the pain medication it wasn't a pleasant feeling. 

Tobin let out a breath and examined her shoulder once more. "As good as new. We should get back to camp so I can call you an ambulance."

"An ambulance? But I feel sooo much better now! And see, I can move my arm again." She was about to flap her arm like a chicken but Tobin's hand on her elbow stopped her.   
"Hey careful! You're just a little high from the medication. We need to X-ray your shoulder to make sure it didn't damage the ligaments, tendons or nerves," Tobin explained patiently, an amused smile on her face. 

"Ohh." Christen pouted. "Okay." 

Only then she registered the kids around them, watching their interaction with interest. "Tobin, if I'm high, I can't supervise them!" 

The doctor chuckled softly. "The effect wears off after around 6 hours. Pinoe and I are still here and we'll take care of them until you're back to normal. Now come on." 

She helped Christen on her feet and steadied her. 

"All right guys, back to camp now. Dinner will be ready in 20 minutes."

The way back felt like it only took 3 minutes. She leaned on Tobin for support, her strong body holding her up. Christen felt dizzy.   
"You smell _so_ good!" she whispered conspiratorially into the doctor's ear and Tobin almost tripped them both over.   
"Uh- thanks..."   
She seemed tense. Maybe Christen should offer to give her a massage like the one Tobin gave her in her office? 

***

"Nothing out of the ordinary with your x-rays. Ms. Press. You're good to go," the doctor at the hospital told her. "Dr. Heath did a good job with the reduction."

"Thanks, doctor-" _Stanley? Stanway? Starling?_ she couldn't remember and smiled apologetically at him. 

"Soo how do I get back in the wilderness from here?"

"Excuse me?" Doctor S-something asked confused.

"I'm sharing my tent with Tobin," she told him proudly. She obviously needed to get back into the forest.

"Uh- I'm gonna give Dr. Heath a call and we'll figure it out," he said quickly and left the room.

Feeling restless, she got up from the treatment table and sat down on the comfy looking doctor's chair.   
Why didn't the chairs in school have wheels? That would be more way more fun. She'd have to talk to the principal about it. 

The door opened and Dr. S. came back in. "Ms. Press? A cab is waiting for you outside. Dr. Heath will wait for you in- well, in the wilderness. One of the nurses will help you."

***

Tobin waited for her at the edge of the forest, leaning casually against a nearby tree. It wasn't fair how ridiculously hot she looked. 

"Hi Chris, feeling good?" she asked with a smirk and a twinkle in her eyes. "Didn't think you'd want to come back here into the 'wilderness'."

"It's not as bad as I thought it would be," she admitted then and walked towards the doctor. Her shoulder was all wrapped up in a bandage and she was still a little unsteady at her feet. Tobin guided her back to the campsite, her hand not leaving the small of Christen's back.

"Are the students okay?"

"Yeah, Amy was a bit rattled but she's okay now. We've talked about it. Chris, until the meds wear off it might be the best, if you just lay down in our tent," Tobin reasoned quietly.

A wave of exhaustion suddenly hit Christen and she nodded.

When they reached the campsite, the kids were seated all around the campfire again. She waved them with her good arm and let Tobin guide her back to their tent. 

"Want me to help you out of your shirt?" Tobin offered quietly.

"You should at least take me to dinner first," Christen replied with a smug grin and the doctor rolled her eyes.

"Try to get some sleep, Chris. I'll come back once the kids are in bed."

The teacher cuddled her pillow and slipped further into her sleeping bag. She closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.

When she woke up the next time it was pitch black outside and Tobin crawled into the tent.   
"Hey, sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," the doctor apologized as she pulled the zipper closed and turned on the camping light to store her things away.

"Its all right, Tobs," Christen rasped out and set up straight, wincing slightly as she felt the pain in her shoulder return.

"How are you?" Tobin asked, getting into the sleeping bag. She laid down on her side to look at the dark haired woman.

Christen thought about the question for a second. She still felt a little dizzy and as if it'd take her longer than usual to think. "I'm good... thanks to you."  
Tobin shrugged casually. "It's my job, Chris."

"No no no." She shook her head. "It's not your job to call in a favor to get a last minute appointment with an orthopedic surgeon as soon as possible."

Tobin bit her bottom lip. Her plush and soft looking bottom lip. Christen stared at her, transfixed. God, those lips looked so inviting, so kissable. 

"Chris?"   
She tore her eyes away and found Tobin staring at her with a strange expression, as if she wasn't sure what to make out of this situation. There was a tension between them. A tension that hadn't been there before and Christen wanted to kiss Tobin, _needed_ to kiss her. And why not? It seemed like a great idea. Some rational part of her brain screamed at her but the teacher couldn't help herself anymore. Tobin's eyes, her usually soft brown eyes, were dark. The look sent a shiver down her spine. She leaned forward towards the doctor but lost her balance without the assistance of her left arm. 

Strong hands held her upright. "Careful." That low, husky voice.  
God, Tobin was so close now. Christen could feel the heat radiating from her body. 

Finally she couldn't take it anymore, closed the last remaining inches between them and kissed her. Her eyes fluttered shut as she felt Tobin's lips move against hers.   
_God, so soft._  
It was a sweet kiss but it sent a hum of excitement through Christen. Her hand cupped Tobin's jaw, pulling the doctor closer and-

"Stop!"   
Tobin pulled away as if she'd been burned. She cursed under her breath as she put as much distance between them as she could in the small tent. Breathing hard, Christen let herself fall back down on the air mattress, the sting of the rejection hitting her hard. 

"Shit, Chris... this is such a terrible idea... I'm so sorry! You- you're still high and I shouldn't have-"   
Tobin started to ramble nervously. "It's not that I don't want to- it's really just-" She cursed again, apparently not finding the right words for the situation. 

Holding onto her pillow, Christen sighed. "It's fine Tobin. It was my fault, I didn't think. I'm sorry." 

Tobin opened her mouth to reply but Christen shook her head. "Could we just... try to sleep now? I'm really tired," she asked her with pleading eyes. 

Tobin ran her hand through her hair and sighed defeatedly. "Yeah... of course. If that's what you want." 

Christen didn't reply. She curled herself into a ball and waited for the sleep to come.

***

When she woke up the next morning, Tobin's side of the tent was empty. Christen blinked several times sleepily before the memories of yesterday flashed before her eyes.

_SHIT!_

Horrified, Christen wiggled out of her sleeping bag. _Oh god, I've kissed her!_

The tent opened and Tobin poked her head inside.  
"Good morning," the doctor greeted with a smile, as if nothing had happened last night. She carried a plate. "I thought you might be hungry."

"Why didn't you wake me?" Christen snapped instead of thanking Tobin for bringing her food. 

The doctor took a step back. "I just thought you could use some extra sleep after yesterday." 

_Ugh! Stop being a bitch. Not her fault that you don't seem to have your libido in control._

Biting her lip, Christen nodded and took the plate from her. "Thanks, that's very kind of you, Tobs."

"Anytime." Tobin sat down cross legged on her side. "Hey Chris, I-I think we should talk about last night."

_Uh-oh._

"What do you want to talk about? Did anything happen?" 

Tobin stared at her, suddenly alarmed. "Wha- you don't remember?!" 

"I'm sorry... my memory is a bit fuzzy?" _Liar._

"Oh..." the doctor looked like a kicked puppy and Christen hated it. 

She swallowed hard. "Why?"

Tobin shook her head. "It's all right. Don't- don't worry about it, Chris. Wasn't important." Her voice sounded robotic.   
"Guess I should head back to the kids now. Enjoy your food." 

Hastily taking a bite of her croissant, Christen nodded. "Thanks, Tobs. I'll be out in a few, too."   
The pastry tasted like a paper towel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had a lot of fun writing CP in this chapter. Finally some progress... or not?   
> Please let me know what you think :)
> 
> The next chapter will look at Tobin's perspective more closely.  
> Stay safe and see you soon!


	13. Chapter 13

Tobin almost dropped the phone when she heard Tyler's distressed voice. 

"Mom!"   
She pressed the phone closer to her ear, her heart beating wildly. Something had happened. 

"Ty?! What's going on? Are you hurt?" she asked immediately. Why hadn't Christen called her?!  
The answer to her question came just a second later.

"No, no I'm fine! It's Ms. Press. She fell."

_Shit._  
That didn't exactly ease her worries. Taking a calming breath, Tobin forced herself to focus.   
"Is- is she unconscious?"

"No, I-I think it's her shoulder. It looks a bit strange..."

Tobin nodded to herself. That didn't sound too bad. Painful but nothing like the life threatening injuries that her mind had supplied. "Okay, Ty. Stay where you are! Christen is probably in a lot of pain now. Don't move her. I'll come and get you! Leave the GPS on so I can find you."

With that she sprinted to one of the camp's supervisors and told him to keep an eye on the kids, not even waiting for an answer before she ran to the tent to retrieve her doctor's case. 

The thought of Christen being hurt pushed Tobin to run even faster towards them. She glanced at her phone again. They had to be close now. 

"Ty?! Chris?" Tobin shouted loudly and slowed down a little. 

"We're here!" Her son's voice came from the left. Tobin's lungs burned but she ignored it as she finally reached them.

Christen laid flat and unmoving on her back, Tyler sitting next to her.   
A curse left Tobin's mouth unintentionally as she moved closer to the injured woman. It was obvious that the teacher put on a brave face for the kids and Tobin couldn't help admiring her strength. 

She sank down on her knees next to Christen and tried to get a grip on her emotions. They would only cloud her judgement. 

_Treat her like any other patient._   
But her usual calm doctor mode just wouldn't kick in. Not with her. 

***

On the way back to camp, Christen leaned on Tobin for support, bringing their bodies closer than ever before.

"You smell _so_ good!" Christen suddenly whispered in Tobin's ear, winking.   
_Oh dear god._   
Tobin tripped over her own feet, feeling Christen's hot breath on her skin. She'd seen different reactions from her patients over the years. Some were very calm and sleepy, others experienced euphoria but it seemed that high Christen was also _flirty_.

Back in camp, Tobin carefully helped Christen sitting down on a log. Pinoe and the other kids had returned to the campsite as well, the blonde woman hurrying over to them.

"Oh my god, Chris! Are you okay?"

Christen smiled dopily at the coach."Never felt any better!" 

Tyler stared at her in confusion before he turned to Tobin, quietly mumbling: "But she looked like she was in so much pain? How can she forget that?"

The doctor couldn't help but grin a little. "Christen's high as a kite, Ty. She's not 100% herself right now. It's a side effect of the pain meds I gave her."

His eyes widened, glancing over to Christen worriedly and Tobin's heart just melted. Her son was such a compassionate young boy. She put a calming hand on his shoulder. 

"She'll be fine, Ty. The effects will wear off in a few hours. I'm gonna call a former colleague of mine who's working at a hospital not too far from here to take a quick look at her shoulder," Tobin explained softly and pulled out her cellphone while Megan and the other kids still had their full attention on the teacher. 

She searched through her contact list until she finally found the name she was looking for.

"Schneider," a deep, male voice answered the phone after two rings.

"Pat, it's Tobin. I'm sorry to bother you but I need a favor. I've got a patient for you. Shoulder reduction. I just wanna make sure there hasn't been any damage. Could we get her in asap for some x-rays ?"

"If you're calling me out of nowhere to ask for a favor, I take it's a special friend?" Dr. Schneider asked with a chuckle.

"Very special," Tobin admitted and bit her lip. Saying it out loud felt scary but it was the truth. She wasn't just attracted to Christen, she really _really_ cared about her.

***

Christen's injury was the top topic during dinner and Tobin had to answer hundreds of questions. Soon the kids' questions shifted from concerned to eager.

"Is it true that your eyes can get stuck when you roll them too often?" a boy with freckles and flaming red hair asked curiously. 

Tobin kept a straight face. "Who told you that?"

"My mom."

"Ah well, better just listen to your mom, buddy," Tobin declared with a serious expression.

After dinner, the kids had another hour before they were supposed to meet up at the campfire. Pinoe wanted to read some adventure story with them.

A tug on her sleeve stopped Tobin from going back to her tent. 

Amy held on tightly, her eyes puffy as if she'd been crying. _Oh no._  
"Amy, what's wrong?" Tobin asked gently, sitting down on the edge of the cabin's front porch, patting on the planks next to her. The girl sat down and sniffled.

"Ms. Press has been gone for hours now and everyone's joking as if nothing happened. I feel so bad cause she's all alone in a scary hospital!" Her bottom lip wobbled as she tried to hold back her tears.

Tobin put an arm around the shaking girl's shoulder and pulled her into a side hug. "It's alright, Amy. As I said before, her injury isn't severe, it's just a check up. She'll be back here soon and an old friend of mine is with her. She isn't alone at the hospital."

Ty, who had been talking to one of the boys he shared his tent with, walked over, sitting down on Amy's other side.

He pulled something out of his pocket and placed it in Amy's hand.   
"Here, I want you to have it. Please don't be sad anymore. Tobin has fixed Ms. Press' injury, right _mom_?" Ty said reassuringly, not looking up from his shoe laces. 

There it was again, the m-word. They would still have to work to get to where they were before she went away but here he was, finally opening the door for her. Acknowledging her role in his life again. The doctor nodded, not trusting her words right now. 

Amy stared at the Pokémon card he'd just given her. It was a rare one, all shiny and textured. A very happy looking Squirtle was on it, wearing sunglasses. It was part of a collector's edition Tobin had bought him for his birthday two years ago and one of the cards he had kept securely in his pocket portfolio. 

The momentary distraction and their combined reassurance seemed to work.  
"Really? Thank you so much, Ty!" Amy squealed and gave him a quick hug before standing up. "I'm gonna put it in my bag. Don't want it to get dirty." With those words she took Tyler, whose face had already turned crimson, by the hand and led him away, towards her tent. 

Gosh, these two were so cute! A soft smile spread on Tobin's face as she watched them leave. She was so proud of him. Her son had such a big heart and had finally found a good friend. A friend who could drag him out of his shell a little. 

***

Once all the kids were back in their tents and Tobin and Pinoe made sure all the flashlights were turned off, the doctor moved back to her tent. Christen had seemed pretty exhausted when she got back from the hospital and was probably asleep.

Trying to be as quiet as possible so she wouldn't wake the teacher, Tobin pulled the zipper open and crawled into the tent. Christen was still cuddled up in her sleeping bag but her eyes were watching her.

"Hey, sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," Tobin apologized and took her glasses off. 

"It's all right, Tobs." Her voice was raspy. _Time to focus on something else!_

"How are you?" the doctor asked and laid down on the air mattress, as Christen sat up. She really had to keep her distance from Christen. It didn't help that Christen looked at her in awe when she thanked her again for helping her and also called her out for going out of her way to make sure Christen would be okay. The teacher stared at her with an intensity Tobin hadn't witnessed yet. The air around them felt charged.

"Chris?" she didn't know what she was even asking for. Christen's pupils were dilated and went from Tobin's lips back up to her eyes. The teacher leaned forward, immediately losing her balance when she couldn't support her weight on her left arm.

Instinctively, Tobin caught her, softly holding her up, trying not to put pressure on her shoulder. "Careful."   
Tobin almost didn't recognize her own voice. Christen was only a few inches away, her breath hitting Tobin's lips, making her head spin. 

She couldn't fight it anymore and closed the gap between them. A soft gasp escaped Christen's mouth as their lips met. Tobin's eyes fluttered closed as Christen pressed closer, her deliciously soft lips moving against Tobin's with gentle insistence. Christen's hand moved up to Tobin's face, trying to pull her closer but somehow the burning touch of her hand on her skin finally snapped the doctor out of it.

"Stop!"   
Breathless, Tobin let go of Christen, putting some distance between them to think more clearly. _Fuck!_   
Before Tobin could even process what had happened, she already started rambling, not really getting her point across. 

Cursing, she shook her head and took a deep breath. She needed Christen to know that she desperately wanted to kiss her again but with the lawsuit and Kara's accusations they couldn't just-

"It's fine Tobin. It was my fault, I didn't think. I'm sorry."  
She sounded so small that it broke Tobin's heart. _Do something you idiot!_

Talking about feelings wasn't Tobin's strong suit, it had never been but she couldn't just leave it at that.

"Could we just... try to sleep now? I'm really tired," Christen begged and although she knew better, Tobin found herself saying:   
"Yeah... of course. If that's what you want."

The doctor didn't get much sleep that night, replaying the kiss again and again and again. She needed to come clean and talk about her feelings. 

At the crack of dawn, Tobin got up and left the tent. She walked over to the wooden jetty and sat down, watching the sunrise in silence. It had been a long time since she'd had those feelings for another person and of course it had to be the only one she couldn't be with right now. 

One by one the kids woke up and it was soon time for breakfast but Christen was nowhere to be seen.   
Tobin grabbed a croissant, a bagel and a bit of cheese and went to check on Christen, hoping that would give them the chance to talk in private.

Christen was awake and didn't seem to be pleased that no one had woken up her this morning but at least she took the plate with food Tobin had brought her.

"Thanks, that's very kind of you, Tobs."

"Anytime." Tobin sat down on her side of the tent and steeled herself for the conversation. _Just be honest!_  
"Hey Chris, I-I think we should talk about last night," she began, wiggling her feet nervously.

Christen didn't look fazed. "What do you want to talk about? Did anything happen?" 

Tobin's stomach dropped. "Wha- you don't remember?!" 

"I'm sorry... my memory is a bit fuzzy?" Christen smiled apologetically and the doctor felt like she'd been slapped. 

_Christen doesn't remember. She'd still been high. She doesn't remember the kiss._  
"Oh..." was all she could get out. God, she'd taken advantage of Christen.

Tobin needed to leave. She couldn't stay here in this tent, that suddenly felt like it was too small for both of them.

***

The ride back into the city was a quiet one. Tobin didn't feel like talking so she kept herself occupied staring out of the window.

She felt terrible for not only allowing Christen to kiss her but also kissing her back while the teacher had been high and helpless. The doctor had to suppress a groan at the thought and tried to close her eyes and maybe take a nap but it was too loud. It also wasn't helping that Christen sat in the seat next to her, their legs touching slightly. 

"Tobin?" the teacher started quietly, interrupting Tobin's dark thoughts. 

"Mhm?"

"What if Kara is already there, waiting to pick Tyler up?" Christen questioned with a worried expression. 

"Can I hide inside the bus until she's gone?" The question seemed ridiculous, even to her own ears. They were adults, for god's sake! But Becky Sauerbrunn's words still echoed in her mind. She and Christen had crossed the friendship line yesterday and if it were up to Tobin, they'd do it again and again. The kiss had felt _so_ good.

_Get a grip, the poor woman doesn't even remember it!_  
She definitely needed to talk to someone once they got back. 

"Uh, sure, if you're able to explain to the kids why you'd hide between the seats when they ask?" A small smile, barely recognizable, tugged on her lips.   
"I'll try."

When they arrived at the school a few hours later, Tobin 'accidentally' spilled the coffee she'd taken with her in a thermos this morning. While the students left the bus and one by one got picked up by their parents, Tobin stayed ducked down to clean up the mess.

Around 15 minutes later, Christen poked her head inside, smiling apologetically at the bus driver. "They've left."  
Tobin jumped up so quickly that she hit her head on one of the armrests. "Ow!" 

"Tobin! Are you okay?" Christen asked worriedly and rushed towards the doctor who now sat on the floor, rubbing her head.

"Yeah I'm good," she reassured her quickly but Christen wasn't having it. The teacher kneeled down next to her, already looking at what was probably an impressive bump on her forehead.

Gently, Christen touched the bump, brushing a few strands of hair out of Tobin's face. "Looks painful."  
The doctor gritted her teeth. This felt way too intimate, they were too close now. 

"I'll live," Tobin mumbled and got up. Christen blocked her way, still eying her cautiously. "I promise."

The teacher nodded and led them out of the bus, only to stop and thank the bus driver for his patience. 

Standing in the school's familiar parking lot, Tobin felt a little awkward. Christen played with her car keys. "So... thanks for coming with me- with us. The class really loved you," Christen finally said, after a minute of uncomfortable silence.

Could Christen feel that something between them was different? That they had shared a mind blowing kiss just a few hours prior?  
Tobin forced a smile. "No problem. I enjoyed it."

"Me too." Christen's green eyes seemed clouded today. "Well, except for the injury. I can't thank you enough for your help."

"You're welcome. I uh- I should probably head home now. I cover the night shift today," Tobin said with a sigh. "Have a great weekend, Chris."

She wanted to give her a hug but didn't want to invade Christen's personal space. The teacher made the decision for her and wrapped her good arm tightly around Tobin's neck. Letting go of the bag in her hand, Tobin's hands automatically found Christen's waist to hold her closer. 

_Step back, idiot!_

Clearing her throat, Tobin let go of her. "Take care of yourself, Chris. If you experience any sudden pain in your shoulder, come into the ER and we take another look, okay?"

Christen nodded. "I will. Thank you Tobs." 

***

At the hospital, Tobin went straight to Kelley's office. She wasn't surprised to find Sonny hanging out there, too.

"Hey, sorry for just bursting in, can I talk to you for a second, Kell?" Tobin urged quietly.

Kelley took one look at her face and nodded. "Sure."

"My shift starts soon anyway. I should go switch clothes." Sonny gave Tobin a pat on the shoulder and left. 

"What's wrong?!" Kelley asked alarmed the moment the door fell shut. 

"I kissed her!" Tobin blurted out, cutting straight to the point. 

Kelley's eyes widened comically. "Christen?" she asked for clarification. "You kissed Christen on a school trip?"

Tobin groaned and sank into one of the armchairs in front of Kelley's desk. "Yes...I did.... but she was high and doesn't remember."

"High? What the hell?! Just what kind of school trip was that?!" Kelley looked utterly confused but Tobin didn't offer anything else, face buried in her hands. 

"Tobito, c'mon," the freckled doctor said calmly and squeezed Tobin's shoulder. "Talk to me."

Taking a deep breath Tobin nodded. "Sorry. I'm just- I really fucked up."

She told Kelley everything about the trip. Her best friend listened dutifully and Tobin appreciated her for not interrupting her story once.

"Are you sure, Pressy doesn't remember? It's rather uncommon with what you gave her," Kelley offered after Tobin had finished her story.

Tobin's head snapped up. "You think she lied? Why would she do that? It's uncommon... but not impossible."

"Yeah," Kelley replied but her expression remained thoughtful. "Either way, it's pretty clear that Pressy _wanted_ to kiss you, so stop fretting about it. She's so into you. Woman up and finally ask her out?"

"I can't, even if I wanted to. Getting involved with her could ruin my chances to get full custody according to my attorney. It wouldn't look good if I dated one of Ty's teachers," Tobin explained and hung her head. 

"Well, shit. Guess you'll have to wait a little longer then. Have you talked to your attorney yet?"

Tobin shook her head with a grimace. "I'm supposed to call her tomorrow. She wanted to update me on what her team found so far." 

"I hope they've found something!" Kelley stated with a dreamy look that suddenly turned serious. "Hey, aren't you worried Ty might tell her you joined the class trip?"

"After what happened the last time he said something, I really doubt that," Tobin told her sadly. "Gotta go, my shift starts soon."

Before she could leave the office, Kelley called her back.

"Tobs?"

Turning around, she leaned against the doorframe. "Yes?"

"I know you. You'll try to keep your distance to Christen now and I get it but... don't shut her out, okay?"

_Busted!_  
"Yeah, I'll try," she agreed vaguely and left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Stay safe everyone!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Happy New Year!**
> 
> I'm so sorry for the delay. Thanks for all the love in the comments and messages, I really appreciate it so much!

Christen's POV

Sighing, Christen threw her phone onto the kitchen island. Still nothing from Tobin. She knew that the doctor would be busy at work and was probably overworked, but not hearing from her at all hurt. 

It's been two days since they got back from their camping trip and the radio silence started to nag away at her. The teacher groaned and buried her face in her hands. 

She hadn't meant to lie to Tobin but when the doctor had wanted to talk, Christen panicked.

Morena nudged her leg softly, wanting some attention from her owner. It was a beautiful day, so Christen decided to let the girls play in the backyard for a bit. Taking a stack of ungraded tests with her, she joined the dogs outside. 

Fortunately, the week passed by in a blur and before she knew it, it was time for their weekly drama group again. Waking up early that Thursday morning, Christen couldn't help feeling excited to see her favorite doctor in a few hours.

***

"Hi Chris, how's the shoulder?" Tobin greeted her quietly as Christen unlocked the door. 

"Tobs, hi!" Christen smiled, happy to see, Tobin would attend their group. She'd gotten increasingly worried that maybe the doctor wouldn't show up. "My shoulder is fine, thanks. You're early." 

They still had another ten minutes to go, before the rest of the kids would arrive. 

Tobin grinned. "What, can't I be on time for once?"

Christen snorted. "You absolutely can. It's just a rare occurrence. How's work been? I-" _missed you._ "I haven't heard much from you lately," the teacher asked tentatively.

Avoiding eye contact, Tobin scratched her neck. "Yeah, sorry about that. I've been really- uh- work has been stressful. 

"Mom! Ms. Press!" Tyler jogged through the corridor towards them, smiling brightly. He hugged his mother tightly and then turned towards Christen. For a moment the teacher thought he might hug her too but he just took a step back and waved. 

"No running in the corridors, Tyler," Christen reminded him softly.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Ms. Press," Tyler apologized sheepishly. "I'm just so excited! Mom's taking me to the amusement park this weekend!" 

It was nice to see him so animated. "That sounds wonderful, Tyler!"

The boy nodded eagerly. "I can't wait! Why don't you come with us, too?" he offered, looking from his mom to Christen with hopeful eyes.

Caught off guard, Christen was speechless for a second. She could feel Tobin tense up next to her. "Oh- uh."

"Ty, that's very nice of you but I don't... I-" Christen looked from the boy with the hopeful eyes to his mom who looked like she wanted nothing more than to tell him no. 

_Well, if she doesn't want me to come with them, I'm not gonna give her an out. She's a grown up woman, she can tell him that on her own._ Christen thought bitterly as Tobin remained quiet. She'd missed the doctor so much. Of course the teacher was painfully aware that without the kiss she had initiated, it wouldn't have happened in the first place. 

"Tyler, I can't decide that. Thanks for the invitation but you've gotta ask Tobin first."

He turned to his mother, showing her his best puppy dog eyes. Tobin's eyes flickered to Christen again and back to her son.  
"I-" She hesitated. "Sure... of course Christen can come with us. Would you like to join us?" 

Against her expectations, Tobin's smile was genuine and welcoming. Had she just been busy after all and Christen misread the signs? Only one way to find out.

"I'd like that," the teacher agreed and Tyler grinned happily. 

The dragon looked brilliant and Tyler fit comfortable into the costume. The only problem they would have to solve now was the boy's nerves. They were practicing some scenes today, trying to get Ty to be more comfortable but even Amy on the stage and the costume couldn't stop him from starting to stutter whenever he murmured his lines. 

"Okay everyone, why don't we take a short break!" Christen suggested when Tyler looked as if he was on the verge to tears. 

Tobin shared a worried look with her as her son climbed out of his costume and went backstage.

"I really thought the costume would make him feel more comfortable," Tobin admitted with a sigh.

Christen squeezed her arm lightly and ignored the tingle in her fingers. 

"I think it does. He's just way out of his comfort zone. We'll get him there," she assured Tobin, who nodded defeatedly. 

"Why don't you entertain the kids for a moment and I'll go backstage and talk to my newest star actor for a moment?" Christen suggested softly. 

Tobin thought about it for a moment and Christen could see how much she wanted to go to her son and comfort him. 

"Yeah, sure. I'll see you in a few? If you need me-"

"I'll let you know," Christen interrupted gently and went backstage.

Her dragon sat on one of the cold stone steps, face buried in his hands. 

"Hi Ty," Christen whispered and sat down next to him. Are you okay?"

The boy looked up and to Christen's relief there were no tears on his face.

"I'm sorry for screwing up your play, Ms. Press," he said miserably and Christen's heart ached for him. "I'm really trying but whenever I've gotta say my text I feel like my brain just stops working. It makes me nervous when everyone's looking at me, even when they can't see me."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Tyler and you're not screwing up anything," Christen told him firmly.   
"This is new for you. And new things take time to practice. You're too hard on yourself. Why don't you and Tobin continue to work on the set some more and we'll try it again when everyone else is gone?"

His head perked up. "Really? I'd love that. Thank you, Ms. Press."

***

As expected, Tyler didn't have a problem to say his lines and act together with Tobin on stage while only Christen was watching but his voice didn't make it through the whole auditorium.

Tobin, who had slipped into the role of the knight again, stood in front of the colorful and impressive dragon. She held her sword up in the air with a frightened expression that had Christen bite her lip to refrain from grinning too brightly. The doctor really had talent. 

Before she could wield the sword, Ty was supposed to speak up, loud and clear. 

Tobin pulled the sword back and took a step forward and -

"Wait!" Tyler's voice wasn't as powerful as the script dictated but certainly there.

"Don't you recognize me?" 

Christen listened to the boy's every word and stopped the scene after a few moments. He climbed out of the dragon and stood next to his mom, nervously shuffling his feet.

"That was a good start, Tyler," she praised and walked up the stage. "But I have a feeling that you're struggling to reach a certain volume?"

The boy nodded, his fingers gripping the hem of his shirt tightly. "That's okay, Ty. We can work on that. How about we start with some vocal chord exercises next time?"

Tobin, who had kept in the background to give her son some space to work at this on his own, gave Christen a thumbs up behind his back. 

"Yeah... okay," Tyler agreed hesitantly and gave Christen a weak smile. "But not while the others are still here?" 

The teacher shook her head and chuckled. "Don't worry. We can do it afterwards and I'll give you some exercises to practice at home, too."

"Okay!" he repeated with more conviction and grabbed his backpack. When he went to the restroom, Tobin crossed the distance between them and pulled her into a crushing hug.

"Thank you, Chris!"   
The doctor's hot breath hit her neck and ear, sending goosebumps all over Christen's skin.   
"F-for what?" she stuttered puzzled as Tobin's hands found her waist. 

"For everything you do for Ty. I know he gets told often that he's not speaking loud enough and that makes him nervous."  
The close proximity made Christen dizzy. 

"He's always spoken quietly since I've taken over his class from Ms. Handerson. He'll get used to it in no time and if we're lucky, it will put him more at ease in front of an audience too," the teacher stated, trying to resist the urge to move any closer or hold Tobin tighter. She definitely hadn't expected the other woman's affectionate outbreak.

"Hey, Chris?" Tobin breathed into her ear huskily.

"Huh?" Was all the teacher could get out.

"I'm happy you'll join us this weekend." 

Her voice sounded so earnest. What was it with this back and forth?! One moment Tobin avoided her at all costs and the next she was happy to be spending her Saturday with her?

As Tyler's footsteps approached, Tobin let go of her and took a step back. "I'll text you the details." 

_Oh dear lord._

***

"I kissed her!" Christen said instead of a greeting as the line connected. 

"Hello to you too, Ms. Press," Pinoe answered with a chuckle. "Congrats! Been about time!" 

The teacher shook her head. "No! No, you don't understand... I kissed her on the school trip, Pinoe! And then... acted like I don't remember but now I'm going with them to the amusement park this Saturday and I think- I'm freaking out!" Christen rambled breathlessly, unable to stop herself. 

"Oh damn," Pinoe sighed dramatically. "That's a lot to take in. Why the heck would you act as if you don't- she's not a bad kisser, is she?"

Christen's brows furrowed. "What?! God, no! She's a brilliant kisser. Her lips are so full and soft and -"

"Okay, okay. Enough swooning. Back to the problem. Why, Chris?" Pinoe's voice was serious now. 

Rubbing the bridge of her nose, Christen sighed. "Because I got scared. She made it perfectly clear that it was a mistake to kiss me."

Her friend was quiet for a moment. "Why would you think that?"

"Because she said so. After the kiss, I mean. That... it's a terrible idea." The teacher hadn't meant for her voice to crack but Tobin's words had cut her deeply. She'd been so sure that the doctor had kissed her back with enthusiasm.

"Oh boy, you've gotta talk that out," Pinoe said to Christen's annoyance.   
"Let her explain?"

The teacher swallowed hard. "I suppose you've got a point. Not as long as Ty is around, though. The last thing he needs is getting dragged into whatever it is between us." Christen paused. "Pinoe? Do you think she'll hate me for lying to her?"

The line was quiet as her best friend thought about it. "No," she said slowly. "I don't think she's going to hate you but if you want something serious with her.. no more lies, Chris."

***

Tobin had offered to pick Christen up for the amusement park but the teacher decided it would be better to drive with her own car and meet them there. It felt like a safety net or a life belt. 

Both Heaths were already waiting for her in front of the main entrance. They had decided to start their day early, so the area was relatively empty. 

"Good morning, Chris." Tobin greeted her with a quick hug and let her eyes roam over Christen's body.

The teacher wore one of her favorite Stanford hoodies and a windbreaker above it. 

"Good morning you two," Christen replied and zipped up her windbreaker. Tobin and Ty, both only in a long sleeved shirt and jeans exchanged a look but didn't say anything. 

"What? It's windy," Christen justified her choice of clothes and put her hands into her jacket pockets. 

Both Heaths just nodded with matching grins. "Lets go before you freeze over. I've already got the tickets," Tobin said and led them to the entrance.

"So what do you want to do first?" Christen asked Ty who was taking in his surroundings with wide eyes. He pointed at a vintage merry-go-round. 

When Tyler was seated on one of the plastic horses, Tobin and Christen had a few minutes for themselves, leaning against a nearby railing. 

"I really can't believe Kara allowed this," Christen admitted. "I thought she'd forbid you to see him."

Tobin snorted. "Yeah, my lawyer thinks she's trying to act like a mature person now, so they can't hold it against her when the case goes to court."

The reminder of the upcoming fight for custody made her wonder if it was such a good idea to come here and spend time with them. If Kara saw them together, she'd use it against Tobin without a doubt but she dismissed the thought. Why should Kara go into an amusement park on her own?

"You mean she's got ulterior motives? Now, that's a shock," the teacher quipped. Tobin laughed softly and bumped her shoulder against Christen's, her attention flickering back to her son. 

It was a sunny day, perfect to explore the park. Their next stop were the bumper cars.   
("No way, I'm not getting in that car with you, mom! Last time you and aunt Kelley got a reprimand, remember?")

After a ride with a wild mouse roller coaster and a swing ride, it was already time for lunch. Tobin's stomach let out a loud growl.   
"Seems like we should find something to eat," Christen laughed. 

Tyler nodded in agreement. "Mom, can we get some hotdogs?"

The doctor handed them a few bills. "Sure. Grab two of them for me? I need to go to the restroom real quickly."

"Woah Ms. Press do you see that?They've got some Pokémon stickers!" The boy tugged on Christen's sleeve excitedly. 

She smiled at him affectionately as they walked over to the hotdog stand.

The guy at the hotdog stand already grinned at Tyler.   
"Why don't you ask your nanny, if she gets you one? Three stickers are included."

_Nanny?!_

The smile dropped from Christen's face. Tyler furrowed his brows and shook his head. "Ms. Press is _not_ my nanny!" he corrected him quietly but firmly. "And you shouldn't make assumptions like that."

Turning to Christen with a shy smile he said: "I think I'd rather get a pizza. Is that okay, Ms. Press?"

"'More than okay," the teacher croaked out and let him lead the way towards the pizza stand. Warmth spread through her as she watched Tyler taking a deep breath before he spoke up to place his order. It was obvious that this situation made him uncomfortable, his hands held tightly onto the seam of his shirt but he did it regardless. Feeling like a proud mother hen, Christen almost missed to order something for Tobin as well. 

They took the food tablet and sat down at a nearby picknick table.   
"There you are!" Tobin had returned and took a seat next to Tyler. "I've been looking for you. Mhmmm... that smells good."

The teacher handed Tobin her pizza, who immediately took a huge bite. "What happened to hotdogs?" the doctor questioned and grabbed her coke.  
Sighing inwardly, Christen opened her mouth to explain but Tyler beat her to it.

"The seller being racist," he replied with a frown.

"What?!" Tobin looked worriedly from her son to Christen, whose heart was currently melting into a puddle. The realization suddenly hit her with full force. 

This wasn't only about her feelings for Tobin. The sweet boy had found his way into her heart as well. Tyler and Tobin Heath felt like home. Like family. It was a scary thought, especially with the kiss still being unaddressed. Gosh, she and Tobin really needed to talk about it. 

"Chris?" Tobin's concerned voice ripped her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry, what did you say?" the teacher cleared her throat.

"I asked if you're okay? Do you want me to talk to the manager?"

"It's okay, Tobin," Christen reassured her, putting her hand on the doctor's arm. 

Tobin's other hand found hers and squeezed softly. "Are you sure?"

Christen nodded. "Ty already told him that it was wrong to assume I'm his nanny."

Pride shone in Tobin's eyes as she ruffled his hair lovingly.

"Mom! Stop it!" Ty squealed and ducked away, glaring at Tobin. 

"So, what do you want to ride next?" Christen asked curiously. 

"Log ride!" They answered at the same time and high fived each other. 

On the way to the log flume, Christen walked alongside Tyler while Tobin, seemingly even more excited than him, walked a few feet in front of them.  
"It's mom's favorite ride," the boy explained with a chuckle. "Do you have a favorite ride, Ms. Press?"

_Ms. Press. Oh to hell with it!_

"I have. I love the drop towers and when we're not at school, please just call me Christen."

His eyes widened but the teacher couldn't tell if it was because of the drop tower or the permission to call her Christen. 

"Hurry up you two!" Tobin exclaimed, already waiting at the entrance. 

***

"Maybe I could just wait for you at the exit?" Christen suggested with a hopeful smile as she took in the log shaped boat and how much water was already inside it.

"Absolutely not." Tobin blocked the way with a smirk. "C'mon Chris, a little water won't hurt you."

Tyler sat down at the front, claiming it would be the safest place. Knowing him, he was probably right. 

"Oh no- don't even think about it, Heath," Christen threatened as Tobin was about to sit down in the back of the small boat. "You'll be my shield!"

Shrugging, Tobin sat down behind Tyler and helped Christen climb into the seat. In retrospect, that might not have been the smartest idea. Now Tobin's muscular back was pressed right into her front.  
Swallowing hard, the teacher tried to focus on the ride instead. 

Christen had to admit that it was fun as the artificial log slid through the winding course but as the boat reached the lift hill, she gripped Tobin's shoulders tightly.   
The other woman just laughed happily and pulled her slightly closer against her body. 

Without warning, the boat dropped. Water splashed everywhere. Christen shrieked and tried to hide behind Tobin but it was useless. Fully drenched and laughing, the three of them enjoyed the last moments of the ride.

As the log came to a hold, Ty jumped out and rushed over to the photo section to find theirs. 

"Ugh Tobin! I'm wet," Christen groaned as she stood up from the boat and turned to inspect the wet spot on her backside and her legs. The doctor's stare was heated, almost hungry, pinning Christen to the spot and making her squirm.

"I- I meant the jeans!" the teacher clarified unnecessarily and tugged at the wet fabric that now clung to her legs and ass tightly.

"Right," Tobin replied huskily, her eyes following Christen's fingers. "What else would you mean, Chris?"

A blush creeped up her neck as she thought of a good reply.

"Mom! Christen!" Saved by the kid. Letting out a sigh of relief, Christen walked over to Tyler. 

"Look! The photo looks awesome! Can we buy it? Please?"   
All three of them had wide smiles on their faces. Christen was still holding onto Tobin's shirt with both hands, head slightly ducked behind her, while Ty was raising both arms into the air. Tobin sat completely relaxed as usual, one hand covering Christen's and the other safely on Tyler's shoulder. 

Ty glanced from Tobin to Christen with hopeful eyes. His mother nodded absentmindedly and handed him the money, still focused on their happy faces.

"Chris... I-" Tobin quickly glanced over her shoulder to see if Tyler was still occupied, talking to the woman behind the counter. "Can we talk? After I've dropped him off at Kara's?"

Her words felt like she'd just poured a bucket of ice water over Christen. 

"Y-yes. Of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming next: _the_ talk. 
> 
> Stay safe and see you soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts? 
> 
> You can also find me on Tumblr: greengoofmon


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